By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad, March 14: The AP High Court on Friday admitted a public interest litigation challenging the closure of the Begumpet airport ahead of the opening of the facility at Shamshabad. Justice Prakash Rao, who was on the division bench along with Justice C.Y. Somayajulu, observed, “after seeing news items appearing in today’s newspapers with regard to the Begumpet airport it seems that the government is also reconsidering its earlier decision of complete closure of the airport.”
“We feel it is proper to admit the petition for adjudication as it looks a window is still open to reconsider the earlier decision,” Justice Rao observed. The court will take up final hearing from March 31.
The bench asked to counsel for the Airports Authority of India, Mr Challa Kodanda Ram, about the assurance of the Union government that it would not shut down old airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore but would try to expand operations there.
Counsel replied that he had not received any official communication from the AAI and said that he also seen news reports with regard to the Centre’s assurance. The petition was filed by a local journalist, Mr S. Srinivas Reddy.
Mr Vedula Venkat Ramana, senior counsel for the petitioner, submitted an additional affidavit seeking a direction from the court to set aside the notification issued by the Union government declaring the closure of the Begumpet airport.
He argued that there was no specific provisions in the Aircraft Act 1934 and Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 for the closure of existing airports. He told the court that the court has jurisdiction to review the policy decision of the government if it felt that the decision was not in the public interest.
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