Farmers D. Sambasiva Rao and T. Srinivasa Rao of Guntur district filed a petition in the High Court praying for action under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 for wilful and intentional defiance of the court order passed on March 3, 2022 in the cases related to the development of Amaravati capital city. 

The respondents include the unofficial ones i.e. the Chief Minister and the members of his Cabinet, whom the petitioners accused of influencing the official respondents, and playing an instrumental role in the non – implementation of the court order thereby obstructing the administration of justice. 

The aggrieved farmers said the respondents are bound to discharge their duties under Schedules II and III of the Land Pooling Scheme Rules, 2015 but they are not implementing the same as per court directions. 

The duties cast on the respondents mainly include declaration of areas under LPS and preparing layout and sector plans based on requirement of physical infrastructure, demarking of all roads as per layout and sector plans within the assembled area and giving approval of layout plans / detailed plans, development of sector roads /internal roads and infrastructure in the share of lands guaranteed to land owners and allotment of prescribed built up space/dwelling units for the economically weaker sections. 

It was mentioned in the petition that the adversarial stand of the government is evident from a statement by Botsa Satyanarayana, who was Minister for Municipal Administration, soon after the High Court passed its judgement, that the concept of three capitals has not been given up. He went on to say that the court cannot restrain the Legislature from making laws. 

The petitioners said Buggana Rajendranath Reddy (Minister for Finance), Dharmana Prasada Rao (MLA, Srikakulam) and Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy (MLA, Chandragiri) among others continued the onslaught on the High Court. 

Besides, the government made disparaging comments on the court by questioning its continuous mandamus order on the floor of the Legislature.

Through a common affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma earlier this month, the government made clear its intention not to implement the court order and to challenge its validity. The affidavit was an excuse to escape from the contempt of court, the petitioners said, insisting that the government is not inclined to undertake development works in Amaravati.