PMO rejects 90-day time for Andhra Pradesh HC

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government and Telugu Desam leaders are shocked at the decision of the Prime Minister’s Office denying their request to grant 90 days grace period for shifting the High Court to Amaravati.

Sources in the judiciary disclosed that the AP government had requested the Union Law Ministry to issue a notification for the separate High Court by granting 90 days to get the logistics in place like moving  judicial staff officers and case files from Hyderabad to Amaravati.

Sources revealed that the Union Law ministry had forwarded the file to the Prime Minister's Office along with the note of the AP government.

But, surprisingly, the President issued the notification on December 26 without mentioning the grace period sought by the AP government.

Sources in the judiciary disclosed that the PMO authorities, after obtaining legal opinion, discarded Andhra Pradesh's request. The Supreme Court in its order thus categorically held that both the High Courts would be functional from January 1, 2019 in view of the affidavit of the AP government assuring that the infrastructure for the High Court would be ready by December 15, 2018.

Sources said that the PMO authorities refused the request to avoid further legal consequences in view of the apex court's finding of making both High Courts functional from January 1. 2019.