HC stays G.O on ‘office colours’

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday issued interim orders staying GO-623 issued by the State government to add one more colour, brown, to the green, white and blue (seen as YSRC party flag colours) to government offices in the State.

The government issued the GO on April 23 after the court ruled that no party colours can be painted on government offices. The court issued the interim stay after a farmer Suryadevara Venkatarao filed a petition challenging the GO-623. His advocate Somayaji contended that the government, instead of removing the party colours as per the court directive, had merely added one more colour.

However, P Sudhakar Reddy, additional advocate general, countered saying the GO was issued based on the recommendations of a committee and that the colours are in no way related to any political party. “The colours represent green revolution, water resources, mil production and land,” he explained. After hearing the arguments, a divison bench comprising Chief Justice GK Maheswari, and Justice Kanneganti Lalitha issued interim orders staying the GO till the next hearing, which resumes on May 19.