AP Cabinet Clears NIA Special Court for Vizag, Registrar for HC

Vijayawada:Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved the establishment of a special court in Visakhapatnam for the trial of cases registered under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008. Besides, the cabinet cleared the creation of a permanent Registrar (Court and Case Management) post in the AP High Court to reduce case pendency and strengthen judicial administration.

Announcing the decision taken by the state cabinet, Law and Minority Welfare minister N.M.D. Farooq said Andhra Pradesh High Court had earlier recommended that a Special NIA Court be established following the Supreme Court’s directions to all states to ensure speedy disposal of NIA cases.

Andhra Pradesh currently has two notified courts handling the NIA cases—one each in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Of the 20 pending NIA cases in the state, 19 are before the III Additional District and Sessions Court in Visakhapatnam and one is pending before the II Additional District and Sessions Court in Vijayawada.

Considering the heavy workload in Visakhapatnam, the cabinet approved the establishment of a District and Sessions Judge-level Special NIA Court with jurisdiction across Andhra Pradesh. It also sanctioned 16 posts, including that of a special judge and supporting staff, for the court's functioning.

Further, the cabinet approved creation of a regular Registrar (Court and Case Management) post in the AP High Court at the district judge level, in line with the Supreme Court’s directives and recommendations of the Case Flow Management Committee.

Farooq said the appointment of the registrar will improve court administration and help reduce the backlog of cases in district courts.

The cabinet reviewed the state's transport sector, with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu seeking details of the sharp rise in commercial vehicle registrations.

Transport, Youth, and Sports minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said registrations of new commercial vehicles have increased from 33,234 to 44,212 during the April–June quarter. He attributed the growth mainly to higher purchase of electric vehicles, driven by government incentives, growing public awareness of eco-friendly transport, and fluctuations in petrol and diesel prices. The government, the minister said, would continue encouraging EV vehicles to promote sustainable transportation across the state.