AP HC reserves judgement on petition on Srikrishna report

Hyderabad, Feb 17(PTI) The Andhra Pradesh High Courttoday reserved its judgement on a writ petition seeking adirection to the union Government to disclose the Chapter 8 ofthe Justice Srikrishna Commission report which was not madepublic.

After hearing arguments from Additional Solicitor GeneralRavindran who represented the Centre, the High Court JudgeJustice Narsimha Reddy posted the matter to March 3 topronounce his orders.

Earlier, Ravindran contended that there is no bindingnature attached to the report submitted by Justice SrikrishnaCommission.

He argued that the report was only recommendatory innature and the Government may or may not take it into accountwhile deciding the issue of carving out separate state ofTelangana from Andhra Pradesh state.

The petition was filed by former MP and senior advocateM Narayan Reddy challenging the action of the Centralgovernment in not disclosing the contents of the chapterdealing with the law and order. He had sought a direction formaking public the undisclosed portions of the SrikrishnaCommittee report.

The Additional Solicitor General further argued that thepetitioner has no locus standi nor any vested right as such toseek a direction from the High Court to the Government ofIndia to disclose such chapters of the report which theGovernment of India for its own reason refuses to disclose.

The five-member committee headed by former Supreme CourtJudge B N Srikrishna had recommended that a united AndhraPradesh with constitutional and statutory measures to empowerthe Telangana region is the "best way forward" to answer thelong-standing demand for a separate Telangana state.