Nimmagadda’s Petition : HC Serious On AP Govt

[Anta Assamey]

The dispute between the State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar and AP state government is a hot topic. As the fate of the local body election is hanging in balance, SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar has moved AP High Court and filed a petition against AP state government accusing the latter of “non cooperation”. Nimmagadda in his petition also informed the High Court that the government hadn’t released the funds to conduct the polls.

AP State High Court has pronounced its verdict on Nimmagadda’s petition. The court turned serious on AP state government and made some serious comments. The court noted that the state government is “non cooperating” to the SEC as he had fought against the government for justice and brought back his post. The court said, “Governments change but the constitutional institutions always exist; democracy is in danger of collapsing if constitutional institutions are not protected.”

The High Court has asked the State Election Commissioner to submit a detailed request to the government in three days seeking its requirements and it’d see what would be the government’s response. While the advocate representing the SEC informed the High Court that the government isn’t responding to the SEC and even submitted the list of communications sent to the government, the High Court made it clear that the government must respond to the SEC. Failing which the Court said it would think of its next step.

Meanwhile, the HC also made some harsh comments over fee payments to former justice Kanagraj who was appointed as the SEC by AP state government. The HC said that Kanagraj should make his own payments if he appoints an advocate. The court said Election Commission should reconsider whether Kanagraj be paid Rs 20 lakh for house and Rs 15 lakh for furniture. “The details of the expenditure incurred for Kanagaraj’s lawyer should be made known to the people, all of which belong to the people,” the High Court stressed.

[Anta Assamey]