Lokesh Reaffirms Kurnool High Court Bench Promise at AMCA Foundation Ceremony

While Andhra Pradesh celebrates a major defence manufacturing breakthrough, IT and Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh has once again put the spotlight on a long-pending promise that matters deeply to Rayalaseema's future: the establishment of a High Court Bench in Kurnool.

Speaking at the foundation ceremony of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft infrastructure project in Sri Sathya Sai district, Lokesh made it clear that development isn't just about attracting investments and industries. His message was pointed: people deserve better access to justice, and the government remains committed to bringing judicial services closer to Rayalaseema through the Kurnool bench.

This reaffirmation comes at a strategic moment. The AMCA project itself represents a Rs 16,000 crore investment that's expected to create over 7,500 jobs and transform Rayalaseema into a defence and aerospace hub. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for what promises to be a game-changing initiative, complete with plans for a defence manufacturing ecosystem and a dedicated drone city.

But Lokesh's emphasis on the High Court Bench reveals the TDP government's understanding that true development requires more than industrial growth: it needs institutional strengthening. For a region that has long felt neglected in terms of administrative infrastructure, having a High Court Bench would be transformative for legal practitioners and citizens alike.

The timing is also politically significant. The demand has recently received fresh momentum with BJP Legal Cell delegations meeting Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to push for the Kurnool bench, along with benches for the National Green Tribunal and Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal in the state.

What's encouraging is how Lokesh framed the issue: not as a standalone demand, but as part of a comprehensive vision where Rayalaseema gets equal importance in development and governance. This integrated approach, combining industrial investment with judicial infrastructure, suggests the coalition government is serious about addressing the region's historical grievances while building its economic future.