New Delhi: Amid a war of words between the treasury benches, TRS and TDP members in Lok Sabha, government on Wednesday welcomed the Telangana government's offer to provide land for a separate Andhra Pradesh High Court in Hyderabad as a temporary measure till a final solution is found.
Under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the High Court at Hyderabad will go to Telangana while Andhra Pradesh will get a separate High Court. As of now, the two states are sharing the same high court.
Amid demands by TRS members for a separate Telangana high court and heated exchanges between them, TDP and the treasury benches, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the offer of Telangana government for relocation of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh to a place outside the existing building as a temporary measure, has "appealed" to him and added that the matter should be placed before the court.
Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said that for a new high court, the Andhra Pradesh government will have to find a suitable place within its territory, apart from providing for residential quarters for judges and staff. While the Centre is committed to implement the Act, creation of the infrastructure is the duty of the state government, he said.
Gowda said once the state government does its bit, the Centre will immediately issue a notification about the new high court. He said he has already written to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana High Courts to expedite the required process.
A PIL was filed in the high court in May this year and the court has now asked the state government to find a suitable site for a new building and related infrastructure. But soon after the court order, a review petition has been filed by the Telangana government, Gowda said, adding that since the matter is sub-judice, he will not be able to speak much on the issue.
TRS leader in Lok Sabha A P Jithender Reddy said what the Law Minister has said is nothing new, while his party colleague K Kavitha said the court had challenged the jurisdiction. While the Centre should have filed a review, the state government made efforts to seek a review, she claimed.
As some TRS members alleged delay on part of the AP government and its leaders, the Speaker asked them not to name people who were not present and avoid such allegations.
At one point, Naidu took offence to a remark by a TRS member that he, being from Andhra Pradesh, was supporting the state government.
"We are Indians first, I belong to a national party and I am proud of that, there is place for regional parties and there is place for national parties. It is an emotive issue. Let us not rake up such issues," he said.
TRS members have been raising the issue since the beginning of the Monsoon Session by pinning placards to their shirts and standing on aisle of the treasury benches.
