Dismissed

Dundi Kumar, Warangal Dist v. Secretary, Panchayatraj Dept., New Delhi and 7 Others

Telangana HC9 Mar 2022WP(PIL)/197/2017

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Court disposed of a PIL alleging fraud and corruption by public officers in MGNREGS implementation. The Court held the Telangana Lokayukta Act provides an efficacious alternative remedy and dismissed the writ petition.

What did the court decide?

Public interest litigation stands disposed of. Liberty granted to the petitioner to approach the Lokayukta establishment.

Dundi Kumar, Warangal Dist Vs Secretary, Panchayatraj Dept… — Corruption | Telangana HC (2022)

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HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA: AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction)

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WEDNESDAY ,THE NINTH DAY OF IVARCH TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY TWO

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PRESENT

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THE HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE^{SATISH CHANDRA SHARMA} AND THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE ABHINAND^{KUMAR SHAVILI}

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WRIT PETITION^(PlL) NO:^{'197 OF 2017}

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Between:

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Dundi Kumar, S/o Sambaiah,^{Aged about 40 years, Occ: Social Activist,R/o} H.No. 5-98 Neerukulla, Atmakur Mandal,^{WarangalDistrict.}

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...PETITIONER

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AND

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The Union of lndia, rep. by^its Secretary,^{Panchayat Raj & Rural Development} Department, New Delhi.

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The Secretary,, Ivlinistry of^{State Departmentof Personnel & Training'North} Block, New Delhi.

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The Director, Central^{Bureauof lnvestigation, New Delhi.}

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The State of Telangana,, Rep.^{by its PrincipalSecretary, Panchayat Raj &} Rural Development Department, Secretariat,^Hyderabad.

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The Commissioner,,^{PanchayatRaj & RuralDevelopment Department,} Hyderabad.

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Smt.Vakati Karuna, District Coliector,^{WarangalDistrict.,-}

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Sri. Shekar Reddy,, Project Director,^{DWMA,Warangal, WarangalDistrict.}

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B. Sri.M.Anil Kumar Reddy,,^{Dy. Chief Executive Oflicer, ZPP Warangal,} Warangal District.

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...RESPONDENTS

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Petition under^{Article226 of constitutionof lndia prayingthat in the} circumstances stated^{rn the Affidavitfiled therewith' the High Court may; be} pleased to issue Writ or^{direction one or more particularly in the nature of Writ'} Order or^{direction one or more particularly in the nature of Writ of N4andamus} declaring

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a)theactionofRespondentNo'lst,2ndand3rdinnotinitiatingappropriate. proceedingsagainstthe6thTthandSthrespondentsaSillega|,arbitrarycontrary totheprovisionsofPanchayatRajActandaswellastheMahatmaGandhi National Rural^{Employment Guaranteescheme and consequentlydirect the 1st} and 2nd 3rd respondents^{to initiate appropriate criminal and civil proceedings} against the 6th^{7th and Bth respondents.}

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WP PIL)MP.^NO: 0 0F 20'17

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Petition under section^{151 cPc praying that in the circumstancesstated} in the affidavit^{filed in suppo(of the petition,the High Court may be pleasedto} forthwith direct the^{1st,2ndand 3rd respondentto conduct an enquiry againsttl} s respondents No.^{6th 7th and Bth pending disposal of the main writ petition.}

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Counsel for the^{Petitioner:SRIA.JAGAN}

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counsel for the Respondent^{Nos,1& 2: SRI N.RAJESWARRAo, Asst.Sol.Gen'}

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Counsel for the^{Respondent No.3: SRI K.SURENDER,Spl'PP for CBI}

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Counsel for the^{Respondent No.4: GP FORPANCHAYAT RAJ& RURAL} DEVELOPMENT

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Counsel for the Respondent^{No.5: SRI M.RAMGOPAL RAO,SC}

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Counsel for the^{RespondentNos.6to 8: None Appeared}

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The Court made the following:^ORDER

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THE HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE SATISH CHANDRA SHARMA AND

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THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE ABHINAND KUMAR SIIAVILI

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WRIT PETITION (PILI No.197 of 20L7

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ORDER, fc". rr," aon'bte the chielJushce sansh chandra shama)

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The present writ petition (public interest litigation) has been filed making allegations against respondent Nos.6, 7 and 8, who are District Collector, Project Director and Deputy Chref Executive Officer, Warangal, and the allegation of the peritioner is lhat they have committed irregularities, fraud and corruption in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Empioyment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

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Learned counsel for the petitioner has referred to G.O.Ms.No.24 dated 12.O1.1996 and his contention is that as per the aforesaid Government Order, any work which is beyond Rs.50.00 lakhs cannot be done without issuing a tender.

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The prayer made by the^petitioner, in^{the relief clause, is} reproduced as under:-

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"The Honble Court^{ma5' be pleasedto issueWrit or direction} one or nore^{particularly inthe natureof Writ' Order or} direction one^{or more particularlyinthe natllreof writof} Mandamus declaring^{a) the actionof Respondent No lst2nd} and 3'r in not^{initiatingappropriate proceedings againstthe} 6,h 7,h and^{8rh respondentsas illegal, arbitra['contrarJ'to} the provisions^{ofPanchayatRaj Act and as rlellasthe} Mahatma Gandhi^{National Rural EmplovmentGuarante-e}

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Scheme and consequentl,y direct the lst and 2nd 3,d respondents to initiate appropriate criminal and civil proceedings against the 6rh 7'h and 8r,. respondents and b) pass such other order or orders as ma-t be deemed fit and proper in the interest of^justice."

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In the State of Telangana, The Telangana Lokayukta Act, i983 as amended by Act 31 of 2Ol7 (for short "the Act") is in force and all such matters of misconduct, wherein allegation has been made relating to irregularities, fraud and corruption, can certainly be looked into by the Lokayukta in exercise ol powers conferred under the Act.

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Section 7 of the Act is reproduced as under:-

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"7. Matters which may be investigated by Lokayukta or Upa-Lokayukta: -

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(t) Subject to the provisions of this Acr, the Lokayukta may investigate any action rvhich is taken by, or with the general or specific approval of, or at the behest of,_

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(i) a Minister or a Secretary; or

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liit a Member of either House of the State Legislature; or

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(iii) a Mayor of the Municipal Corporation constituted by or under the relevant lau ior the time being in force; or

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[(iiia) a Vice Chancel]or or a Registrar of a University.l

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{iu) , .any other fublic serwant, belonging 1o such class or scction of pr-rblic sen,ants. as ma\ De noltlrerl br the Covcr-nment tn this bt.half after consultation rvith the Loka-r,ukta in an,l :^u^* l l..:^{a comptarnr involvingan alegarioir} rs made in respect of such action, or such action can be or could haue been, in the opinron of the Lokaj.ukta, rhe subject ot an a llegatjon.

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L?" ,"f,X?;:: Io Ihe provisrons or this Acr. the "^{t,.t, ," " irrJn 'nl'} ^';'1":t]r,.^anvacrion .p""iri. upploiu, Ii'rll, I','I, 'n" senerar or ,ha, rho""^{',..i"i";';""J;'":l o']" sgrvant,} other section {1,. in anv case where " ..-o,"1",' ,""1,o is made in .."o".i;i';;.;:olvins an allegarioi 13,, ?.9.^.orrl-r,u,". ;::; i:,,,. or such acrionn. U pa Lo kay u k r a. in"^"", ij li,, lr'j,.. (3, "",1]!l:^{L :l,} Notwithstandins an il"':l l'r r^{it'.".i" trr,r'u,, T'"I'} ?5, .J:""# :; :,:^{recorded inwririne.} Investigate Anv allegation in respecr''-rB' :l,Y:"-:11',:d^{.;' i; ; ;;:i&:;"J],} [' l'L[i,.:: suo-sectlon, wh ether or not.r I?,1;,",;;';.i;i,ii,l"',,."1!,#li i1" l;:;

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l4l Where nvo or more I I n r' pa'Loka1 u ktas a re dppor n red r ro..-, ii.' olll J tsencfal o| special ord", ..^l:lalukla may. f i:fl ,,T::,;[,"';,, ;^,, J,:' ;i"i,il.l[i::' # prcvided tha r "o.^{il t-tt'-otlonm.-.le} ?', iJt^ L 1:ir Ir ,ior "n,, :;:;lr ;i 13; i :r:1";.i:ir ir,' .t,'J".^"",;";:; ffi ;;f :-!'iliF,t''lJl:"'il:l,il":,::'::::,iJ,:''i orcler^,, Is llol dsslgned ro hrm bv such

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In the llgi,t: of thc aloresairl statulory provision of lau., thc pctitior-rer docs have an eflicacious alternative remedy and the Act prsvj(ss lor a cietailed proceclure to look into the complaints and to clo rnvestigation based upon the evidence.

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This Ccurt does not find any reason to entertain the present writ petition (public interest litigation). A liberty is granted to the petitioner to approach the Lokay'ukta establishment. It is needless to mention that the public

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Officers^{are amenabieto the} servants^{and AI1 lndia CivilService} jurisdiction^{of the Lokayukta'}

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with the^{aforesaid,the writpetition (publicintereSt}

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Iitigation)^{standsdisPosed of'}

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Pending^{miscellaneousapplications'ifany' shall stand}

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closed.^{There shall be no orderas to costs'}

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