Accommodation for Andhra Pradesh High Court to be ready by December 2018

Hyderabad: The AP government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that the accommodation for establishment of a High Court for the state would be ready in December 2018.

A two-member bench comprising Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan was hearing an appeal by the Centre which challenged the order of the Hyderabad High Court in holding that the permanent High Court should be constructed only within AP. The Hyderabad High Court had also held that there was no provision under the law to set up a High Court for AP temporarily in Hyderabad.

The bench had earlier directed the AP government to spell out its stand in establishing the High Court either in AP or in Hyderabad when the Centre said that the existing High Court at Hyderabad had a sufficient number of court halls for the two High Courts to function separately.

The Centre contended that as per the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad was the common capital for both states for 10 years and such an arrangement could be made.

AP government counsel said the accommodation for the High Court would readied by December in AP. Counsel appearing for the Telangana state government submitted that for the last four years the AP government was making such statements. Counsel for the Centre submitted that though it had released Rs 500 crore in March 2015, the state government had not take up the construction.