Hyderabad High Court to continue as common court for both states

The Hyderabad High Court on Friday ruled that it will continue to as common high court for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh till the central government sets up a separate court for the latter state.

Pronouncing its orders on the matter, a division bench of Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar said it was the responsibility of the central government to allocate funds to create a new high court as per the AP Reorganisation Act and the Constitution.

The bench observed that it was for Andhra Pradesh government to decide where to set up the high court.

It further ruled that after establishment of separate high court in Andhra Pradesh, the existing high court in Hyderabad will serve the state of Telangana.

The court observed that till establishment of separate high court in Andhra Pradesh, its benches may be constituted at Visakhapatnam and Tirupati.

The court passed the orders on a plea seeking a separate high courts for the two states.

Meanwhile, Joint Action Committee of lawyers from Telangana have decided intensify their movement for separate high court for the state. They are seeking early bifurcation of the existing high court so that the newly created state gets its own high court.

Telangana Advocates' JAC argue that when two states can have separate legislatures and secretariats in Hyderabad, why can't they have separate high courts.

The Telangana state assembly in March had passed a resolution urging the central government to bifurcate the existing high court.

Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowd had had said recently that the steps for setting up a separate high court for Telangana will be initiated once the government of Telangana sends a proposal to the central government.