VIJAYAWADA: The
Supreme Court
on Wednesday posted the hearing on the petition filed challenging the high court's verdict on capital
Amaravati
to April.
Though the counsels for the state government requested for an early date for hearing, the apex court observed that in matters of this nature which involve constitutional questions, sufficient time must be given to the parties and April will be the earliest possible date that can be given.
Soon after the matter was called out, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi on behalf of the state government, initiated arguments saying that the high court passed an order declaring that the state government does not having legislative competence to make laws on the subject matter even after repealing of the impugned legislations.
Rohatgi went on to say that the judgment of the high court is an insult to the state assembly as it cannot make any new laws on the subject matter. He said that the high court order was beyond the scope of the petitions and needs to be set aside. The counsels for Amaravati farmers intervened at this stage and said that the pleadings in the petitions are not completed yet.
Amaravati farmers filed a caveat in the Supreme Court after the full bench of the high court passed orders in favour of them. After the state government filed an appeal against the high court order, several other petitions filed by individuals both in support of three capitals as well as capital Amaravati. The Supreme Court has earlier adjourned the matter to December as more than 250 respondents are to be served with notices and counters have to be filed.
As the pleadings are not completed and counters are yet to be filed by some of the respondents, a bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta posted the matters to April with a direction to file counter affidavits by the respondents if not already filed within four weeks and to file rejoinders if any by the petitioners in another four weeks.
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