AMARAVATI: A Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday said more than 120 writ petitions filed against the state's "three capitals" plan have become infructuous now that Parliament has amended the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 to declare Amaravati the sole capital of the State.
Bench says legislative amendment removes live controversy
The Bench, led by Chief Justice Lisa Gill, told counsel that the grant of statutory recognition to Amaravati as the sole capital effectively removed the principal controversy underlying the batch of petitions that came up for hearing on Friday. The court indicated that matters which still remain pending will be examined on November 20, 2026, while noting that related appeals in the Supreme Court may be heard on November 29, 2026.
"The grant of legal sanctity to Amaravati as the sole capital through the amendment to the Act rendered the batch of petitions infructuous," the Bench observed, according to court reporting.
State points to ongoing infrastructure work and earlier affidavit
Representing the State, Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas informed the Bench that the government had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in December 2024, committing to complete infrastructure projects in Amaravati within three years, and told the court that works were progressing at a brisk pace.
Counsels for some petitioners said it would be appropriate for the State government to settle related procedural issues by withdrawing the Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) through which the previous YSR Congress Party government had challenged the High Court’s earlier Amaravati judgment of March 3, 2022. Senior counsel Jandhyala Ravi Sankar told reporters that while more than 120 petitions had been filed against the three-capitals move, the larger issue had been decided on merits and what remained was largely procedural.
Land Pooling Scheme beneficiaries seek time-bound allotments
Senior counsel appearing for petitioners urged the court to direct the allotment of developed plots to beneficiaries of the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) in a time-bound manner. The plea reflects continuing concerns among those who participated in Amaravati’s land pooling about when they will receive allotted plots and compensation following the policy reversals and changes over recent years.
- More than 120 writ petitions filed against the three-capitals plan were heard on Friday.
- Parliamentary amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 wrote Amaravati into law as the State's sole capital.
- Remaining High Court matters to be examined on 20 November 2026; related Supreme Court appeals may be heard on 29 November 2026.
Background and legal context
The petitions before the High Court had challenged the laws and decisions that sought to decentralise administrative functions across multiple cities by establishing a three-capitals arrangement. The two central statutes previously at the heart of litigation were the AP Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Act and the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, both enacted in 2020.
Those laws, and the subsequent administrative steps, prompted litigation across more than one forum, including appeals to the Supreme Court. The High Court’s March 3, 2022 judgment in favour of aspects of the Amaravati plan and the later political contestation through legislation and SLPs set the stage for this latest procedural development.
| Date / Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2014 | AP Reorganisation Act enacted (baseline statute) |
| 2020 | Two laws enabling three-capitals approach enacted |
| March 3, 2022 | High Court delivered a key Amaravati judgment |
| December 2024 | State filed affidavit in Supreme Court committing to Amaravati infrastructure completion in three years |
| 20 Nov 2026 | High Court to examine remaining matters |
| 29 Nov 2026 | Possible Supreme Court hearing of appeals |
What this means going forward
With Parliament having amended the Reorganisation Act to designate Amaravati as the State capital, the substantive legal challenge to the three-capitals policy has been curtailed at the High Court level. However, procedural applications, claims by LPS participants for allotment of developed plots, and pending appeals in the Supreme Court mean legal and administrative questions will persist into the final quarter of 2026. The High Court’s November listings and the anticipated Supreme Court dates will be watched closely by landholders, developers and political actors across the State.
Lawyers on both sides and government officials will now need to reconcile statutory changes, prior court orders and on-ground infrastructure timelines as the matter proceeds through the courts.
