VIJAYAWADA: A special bench will hear the plea filed by Navayuga Port Limited challenging the order of a single judge, who had given a judgement in favour of the government. The government had in 2019 issued a GO cancelling the agreement it entered into with the firm for the construction of the Machilipatnam port. The firm challenged the same and Justice Rao Raghunandan Rao upheld the government’s decision. The firm had recently filed a plea challenging the single-judge order.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, Advocate General S Sriram informed the bench led by Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra that one of the judges in the bench was associated with Navayuga in the past. Sriram said the Supreme Court had made it clear that any instance of a judge having any association with the petitioners should be brought to the notice of the court.
The Advocate General said one of the judges on the bench was earlier associated with Navayuga, which is the lead promoter of Navayuga Ports. Chief Justice PK Mishra said if they go ahead with hearing the matter, there is a possibility of approaching the Supreme Court and opined that it would be advisable that a separate bench takes up the matter.
Navayuga’s counsel Dammalapati Srinivas said there was a possibility of the works of the Machilipatnam port being handed over to some other company, if there was a delay. Advocate General Sriram informed the court that it would take some more time for the project to commence. Srinivas then informed the court that they have no objection if the plea is heard on Friday. The bench issued orders that the matter will be heard by a special bench on Friday.