Vudumula Rama Narayana Reddy Vs the State of… — Writ and Judicial Review | Andhra Pradesh HC (2025)

Vudumula Rama Narayana Reddy Vs the State of… — Writ and Judicial Review | Andhra Pradesh HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Dismissed

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents' action in awarding work contracts under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) through the Special Officers of the Gram Panchayats chosen as 'implementing agency' under Section 2(g), getting such works executed through contractors without involving the village-folk, is illegal, arbitrary, mala fide and against the provisions of MGNREGA, and whether the Court should direct that such works be awarded through the Mandal Praja Parishad as the alternative implementing agency.

Ratio / Principle

On the submission of learned counsel for the petitioner that the cause in the writ petition does not survive for further adjudication, this Court dismissed the writ petition as infructuous. No finding was rendered on the merits of the challenge to the entrustment of NREGA works.

Key takeaways

As a consequence of the dismissal of the writ petition, miscellaneous applications pending, if any, shall stand dismissed.ratio¶46

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati (Special Original Jurisdiction), single Judge (Hon'ble Sri Justice Venkateswarlu Nimmagadda), order dated 04.08.2025 in Writ Petition No. 6300 of 2019: The petitioner, President of Konakanametla Mandal Praja Parishad, had sought a writ of mandamus under Article 226 declaring illegal, arbitrary and mala fide the respondents' awarding of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act work contracts through Special Officers of Gram Panchayats as the 'implementing agency' under Section 2(g), execution through contractors without involving the village-folk, and seeking entrustment of such works to the Mandal Praja Parishads. Before the Court, learned counsel for the petitioner (Sri T. Ramji Varma representing Sri K. Sarvabhouma Rao) submitted that the cause in the writ petition does not survive for further adjudication. Accepting the submission, the Court dismissed the writ petition as infructuous; miscellaneous applications pending, if any, were directed to stand dismissed. No merits findings were made; the substantive question of MGNREGA implementing agency remains undecided.

APHC010143982019

[3329]

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

MONDAY,THE FOURTH DAY OF AUGUST TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE

PRESENT

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE VENKATESWARLU NIMMAGADDA

WRIT PETITION NO: 6300/2019

Between:

VUDUMULA RAMA NARAYANA REDDY, S/O VENKATA REDDY, AGED 56 YEARS PRESIDENT, MANDAL PRAJAPARISHAD,KONAKANAMETLA, PRAKASAM DISTRICT

...PETITIONER

AND

THE STATE OF AP, REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, PANCHAYAT RAJ AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECRETARIAT, VELAGAPUDI, AMARAVATI

THE COMMISSIONER, PANCHAYAT RAJ AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, NAKKALA ROAD, SURYA RAO PET, VIJAYAWADA.

THE COLLECTOR, PRAKASAM DISTRICT, ONGOLE, ANDHRA PRADESH

THE SUPERINTENDING ENGINEER, , PANCHAYAT RAJ, ONGOLE PRAKASAM DISTRICT

THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, PANCHAYAT RAJ, MARKAPURAM PRAKASAM DISTRICT

THE PROJECT DIRECTOR, , DISTRICT WATER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY, ONGOLE PRAKASAM DISTRICT

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THE SPECIAL OFFICER, MUNAGAPADU GRAM PANCHAYAT, PRAKASAM DISTRICT

THE SPECIAL OFFICER, VELIGANDLA GRAM PANCHAYAT, PRAKASAM DISTRICT

THE SPECIAL OFFICER, REGUMANIPALLI GRAM PANCHAYAT, PRAKASAM DISTRICT

THE SPECIAL OFFICER, KATRAGUNTA GRAM PANCHAYAT, PRAKASAM DISTRICT

THE SPECIAL OFFICER, BACHALIKOORAPADU GRAM PANCHAYAT, PRAKASAM DISTRICT

THE SPECIAL OFFICER, THOOVAPADU GRAM PANCHAYAT, PRAKASAM DISTRICT

...RESPONDENT(S):

Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased toto issue an appropriate Writ, Order or Direction, more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the Respondents in awarding the work contracts under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act through the Special Officers of the Gram Panchayats choosing them as the 'implementing agency' under Section 2(g) of the said Act in which such officers were not listed and in which in the absence of Gram Panchyat, any other local authority such as Mandal PrajaParishad is enlisted and getting such works executed through contractors without involving the village-folk as illegal, arbitrary, mala fide, and against the provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and to consequently direct the Respondents to award all such works under the said Act through the Mandal Praja Parishad which is in existence as an alternative implementing agency and to get such works done as envisaged under the said Act and to pass

IA NO: 1 OF 2019

Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased pleased to issue an interim direction against the Respondents

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to entrust the works under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for implementation through the respective Mandal PrajaParishads in the absence of elected bodies to the Gram Panchayats revoking such entrustment of the works through the Special Officers of the Gram Panehayats during the pendency of the Writ Petition

Counsel for the Petitioner:

1.K SARVA BHOUMA RAO

Counsel for the Respondent(S):

1.GP FOR REVENUE (AP)

2.GP FOR PANCHAYAT RAJ RURAL DEV (AP)

The Court made the following:

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THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE VENKATESWARLU NIMMAGADDA

WRIT PETITION NO.6300 of 2019

ORDER:-

Sri T. Ramji Varma, learned counsel representing

Sri K. Sarvabhouma Rao, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

the cause in this writ petition does not survive for further adjudication by this Court.

In view of the submission by the learned counsel for the petitioners, writ petition is dismissed as infructuous.

Consequently, miscellaneous applications pending if any, shall stand dismissed.

_____________________________________ JUSTICE VENKATESWARLU NIMMAGADDA

Date: 04.08.2025

SP

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THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE VENKATESWARLU NIMMAGADDA

WRIT PETITION NO.6300 of 2019

Date: 04.08.2025

W

SP