The Narendra Modi government at the Centre has indirectly given a green signal for the shifting of the Andhra Pradesh high court to Kurnool as part of the formation of three capitals in the state by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Union law minister Ravishankar Prasad told Bharatiya Janata Party MP G V L Narasimha Rao in Rajya Sabha on Thursday that chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had proposed to shift the state high court from Amaravati to Kurnool in February last year. He said it would be done after getting the approval from the state high court.
“A decision would be taken after the state government gets the concurrence of the state high court after due consultations. Both the sides should come to an agreement on the shifting of the high court as part of the formation of judicial capital,” the Union minister said.
Ravishankar Prasad said the state government would have to bear the expenditure of shifting and maintenance of the high court, while the judicial administration would be under the control of the high court chief justice.
“There is no deadline for the shift of the high court as of now. The issue is now pending before the high court,” the Union minister said.
It may be mentioned that the chief minister has proposed three capitals for Andhra Pradesh – executive capital at Visakhapatnam, judicial capital at Kurnool and legislative capital at Amaravati. The issue is now pending before the state high court.