The Supreme Court of India on Thursday served notices on the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh on payments due to London-based architect firm Foster and Partners, which had designed the masterplan of core capital region of Amaravati.
A Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court headed by chief justice N V Ramana admitted a petition from the UK architects seeking arbitration with the state government on the money due to be cleared for the design work they had done.
The Supreme Court also issued notices on AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA), which was restored by the Jagan government in November last, after reconstituting it as the Amaravati Metropolitan Development Authority.
Foster + Partners’ company in 2018 designed the masterplan and buildings for the core capital region of Amaravati including a legislative assembly, high court complex, and other administrative buildings.
The architect said Amaravati would be "one of the most sustainable cities in the world", with 60% of it covered by greenery or water, and routes provided for electric vehicles.
However, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government which took over the reins of the state in May 2019 dropped the Amaravati capital plan and stalled all the ongoing works, besides keeping all the payments due to the contractors in abeyance.
Though Foster and Partners wrote to the state government for the payments due to it several times, there was no response from the government.
After waiting for three years, the company moved the Supreme Court expressing its desire to settle the issue through arbitration.
