The recommendation of an expert committee headed by former IAS officer G.N. Rao to set up a bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Visakhapatnam has been hailed by the city’s legal fraternity.
Positive feelers from the State government regarding setting up the bench in the city as well as making it the executive capital of the State has been met with cheer, as the city’s bar association happens to be the largest in the State with 3,000 members, of who 1,000 are women.
The agitation for a separate bench was spearheaded in 1992 which subsequently led to a three-month strike by the advocates in 1993. At that time, both Chief Minister Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy and TDP president N.T. Rama Rao had described the demand as genuine.
The Justice Sivaramakrishnan Committee had recommended centralised development by establishing the A.P. High Court in Visakhapatnam. Though then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was favourable to the recommendation, he later chose Nelapadu near Amaravati for setting up the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Visakhapatnam is home to Dr. Damodaram Sanjeevaiah National Law University, Andhra University College of Law, GITAM School of Law, N.B.M. Law College and other several other law colleges.
A Joint Action Committee formed by lawyers from three North Andhra districts had in the past taken up agitations in various forms to step up the demand for a permanent High Court or a bench in the city.
“If the bench is set up, it will be a dream come true for the entire legal fraternity of north-coastal Andhra. We are grateful to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for floating the idea of three capitals and developing Visakhapatnam as the executive capital,” G. Maheswara Reddy, president of Visakhapatnam Bar Association, told The Hindu.
‘Boon to litigants’
Advocates feel that a bench in the city would save petitioners and counsel the trouble of having to go to Kurnool, where the new High Court is proposed to be located. A division bench would thus be a boon to the litigants, lawyers said.
Forum of Legal Professionals president Kuppili Muralidhar hailed the proposal to develop Visakhapatnam as an executive capital and welcomed the proposal to establish a division bench in the city.
“The establishment of a High Court bench in the city will be an ideal choice because of excellent and viable locations with several practising advocates and premier law schools,” Mr. Muralidhar said.
All India Lawyers’ Union city secretary B. Tulasidas and advocate T. Nagabhushanam also welcomed the proposal.
