Supreme Court has scheduled the Amaravati case for July 11th

The Supreme Court postponed the matter to July 11 after refusing to grant an urgent listing of petitions against the High Court’s order requiring the State government to develop and construct Amaravati’s capital city and capital region within six months. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna observed that many lawyers would need time to advance their arguments. Former Attorney General KK Venugopal, who appeared for one of the parties, told the bench that the law enacted to create three capitals had been withdrawn. All that remained to be argued, he said, was the impact of the HC verdict on the principle of separation of powers and the operation of state government.

The court also stayed the High Court’s ruling directing the State and the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) to complete the redevelopment of Amaravati capital city within one month and to hand over developed reconstituted plots in Amaravati capital region to land holders who surrendered their lands within three months. In its petition to the Supreme Court, the state government argued that the HC’s decision violated the doctrine of separation of powers. The State has also claimed that under the federal structure of the Constitution, each State has the right to determine where it should carry out its capital functions, according to the plea filed by advocate Mahfooz A Nazki.