AP government issues notification shifting SHRC office at Kurnool

The Andhra Pradesh govt issued a notification last night specifying the location of State Human rights Commission office at Kurnool modifying the previous decision to set up the HRC office in Vijayawada. The hearing on the petition filed against the HRC location is going on in High Court.

However, the High Court clarified that the state government has the prerogative to set up the State Human Rights Commission (HRC) anywhere in the state. It cannot be said that HRC should be set up in a particular place in the state. The High Court recalled that it was clearly stated that a Rights Commission should be set up in our state territory and not in Telangana. The state government has reported to the high court that the state cabinet has decided to set up an HRC in Kurnool. Advocate General (AG) S Sriram on behalf of the state government explained that the notification given in 2017 for setting up HRC in Amravati will be amended and the latest notification for setting up in Kurnool will be given.

He said the HRC chairman and members had inspected two premises in Kurnool to set up the HRC and were looking at a new campus as they were not suitable. He asked the court to adjourn the hearing for a month to see the progress of the HRC formation. The High Court agreed and adjourned the hearing till September 27. The bench comprising Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Arup Kumar Goswami and Justice Naina Jayasuriya passed the order on Thursday.

It is learned that AP Civil Rights Association Joint Secretary Malleshwara Rao has filed public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court alleging that the people are in trouble due to the presence of the AP HRC office in Telangana.

The court, which has already heard the case several times, recently held another hearing on Thursday. Petitioner's lawyer Pothuri Suresh Kumar said setting up an HRC in Kurnool would be a burden. The court, however, rejected this argument.