The Andhra Pradesh high court on Friday observed that all the petitions challenging the decision of the previous YSR Congress party government in the state to establish three capitals for the state have become infructuous, in the wake of Parliament granting statutory status to Amaravati as the state capital, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
The three-member bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill, Justice Nainala Jaya Surya and Justice B S Bhanumathi, said since Amaravati was now declared as the state capital by an Act of Parliament, any petition pending before the courts challenging the three capitals proposal would become infructuous.
The high court also directed the government to honour the agreements entered into with farmers under the land pooling scheme and undertake the development of Amaravati as the capital city. It also prescribed deadlines for completing basic infrastructure in the capital region, including roads, drinking water supply, drainage and electricity. The apex court subsequently stayed the deadlines prescribed by the high court for execution of several infrastructure-related directions.
On August 2, 2020, Amaravati farmers moved the state high court challenging the laws introduced by the YSRCP government. After an extensive hearing, the high court in its judgment on March 3, 2022, held that Amaravati was the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. On September 17, 2022, the Jagan government filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the high court judgement. He said the state government had already filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court on December 10, 2024, stating that it would complete the infrastructure projects in Amaravati within three years.
The bench subsequently adjourned the hearing of the remaining matters relating to Amaravati to November 20, noting that the Supreme Court is expected to take a call on September 29 with regard to the special leave petition filed by the previous YSRCP government challenging the state high court’s verdict of March 3, 2022, declaring Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. In July 2020, the then Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy got two separate laws passed in the state assembly – one repealing the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act and second, decentralisation of administration law providing for three capitals.
