IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH :: AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY, THE THIRD DAY OF FEBRUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SMT JUSTICE V.SUJATHA ^Vv^^ WRIT PETITION NO: 1818 OF 2025 i» Between: Gujji Appala Raju, S/o Appa Rao, Age: 52 years, Occ: Business, R/o D.No 66-1-6/A, Visakhapatnam-530011. Pilakavani Palem, Sri Hari Puram, Malkapuram Post, ...PETITIONER AND 1. The State of Andhra Pradesh, rep by its Principal Secretary, Finance Department, Secretariat, Amaravathi, Guntur District. 2. The State of Andhra Pradesh, rep by its Principal Secretary, Muncipal Administration Department, Secretariat, Amaravathi, Guntur District. 3. The District Collector, Visakhapatnam District at Visakhapatnam. 4. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnam, Rep. by its Commissioner 5. The Engineer-in-Chief, Municipal Adiministration Vijayawada, N.T.R. District. 6. The Executive Engineer, Grater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnam. 7. The Superintending Engineer; Grater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnarti. ...RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated be pleased to issue a Writ, order or direction in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may more particularly one in the nature of WRIT OF MANDAMUS, declaring the action of the respondents in not releasing the admitted bills to a tune of an amount of Rs.9,63,520/- towards final settlement of the bill tO: the petitioner for the completed work laying of CC roads, at various Locations in Prakash Nagar in Ward No-62 in Zone V(B)of GVMC, GGMP work as illegal, arbitrary violative of principles of natural justice and also voilative of Articles 14, 19, 21 and 300-A of Constitution of India and consequently to direct the respondents to pay the same along with 18% interest per annum and also costs and compensation. lA NO: 1 OF 2025 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 to direct the respondents to pay the admitted bills to a tune of an amount of Rs.9,63,520/- towards ^inal settlement of the bill to the petitioner for the completed work of laying of CC roads Prakash Nagar in Ward No-62 in Zone V(B)of GVMC, GGMP work pending disposal of the Writ Petition. at various Locations in Counsel for the Petitioner: SRI P.V.V.SATYANARAYANA Counsel for the Respondent No.1: GP FOR FINANCE & PLANNING Counsel for the Respondent Nos.2, 5 to 7: GP FOR MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION & URBAN DEVELOPMENT Counsel for the Respondent No.4: SRI A.S.C.BOSE, SC FOR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION The Court made the following: ORDER 1 APHC010033482025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3333] MONDAY, THE THIRD DAY OF FEBRUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SMT JUSTICE V.SUJATHA WRIT PETITION NO: 1818/2025 Between: ...PETITIONER Gujji Appala Raju AND ...RESPONDENT(S) The State of Andhra Pradesh and others Counsel for the Petitioner: 1. P VV SATYANARAYANA Counsel for the Respondent(S): 1.GP FORMUNCIPAL ADMN URBAN DEV 2.GP FOR FINANCE PLANNING The Court made the following: 2 BORDER: This Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking the following relief: r .... to issue a Writ, order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the respondents in not releasing the admitted bills to a tune of an amount of Rs. 9,63,520/- towards final settlement of the bill to the petitioner for the completed work of laying of CC roads at various locations in Prakash Nagar in Ward No. 62 in ZoneV(B) of GVMC, GGMP work, as illegal, arbitrary violative of principles of natural justice and also voilative of articles 14, 19, 21 and 300A of Constitution of India and consequently to direct the respondents to pay the same along with 18% interest per annum and also costs and compensation.... ” 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Government Pleader for Finance and Planning for respondent No.1, learned Government Pleader for Municipal Administration and Urban Development for respondents No.2 and 5 and Mr.A.S.C.Bose and learned Standing Counsel for Municipal Corporation. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that even though respondents admitted that the petitioner is entitled for payment of the aforesaid sum of money, no payment is being made and such non-payment of money is clearly arbitrary and high-handed interference by this Court. and thereby requires V 4. At the time of hearing, the learned Standing Counsel for Municipal Corporation submitted a copy of instructions of the Executive Engineer, Zone VI, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, dated 30.01.2025, wherein it is stated that the amounts payable to the petitioner are admitted bills, and 3 that the bill is to be submitted by the Examiner of Accounts, GVMC, to the Pay and Accounts Officer, Visakhapatnam. However, as part of the billing process, there is an error in the OEMS login and a workflow issue for administrative sanction in the OEMS Portal. Due to this reason, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is unable to process the payment of the bills. It is further submitted that the bill will be submitted in the GEMS portal after the error is resolved. In view of the above instructions, since the bill amount claimed by the 5. petitioner is an admitted bill, this Court feels it appropriate to dispose of the writ petition directing the respondents to release amount of Rs.9,63,520/- (Rupees Nine lakhs sixty three thousand five hundred and twenty only) to the petitioner within a period of three (3) months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is disposed of. There shall be no order as 6. to costs. Miscellaneous petitions pending, if any, in this Writ Petition shall stand closed. Sd/- V SAVITHRI assistant registrar ' SECTION OFFICER //TRUE COPY// To State of Andhra Pradesh Principal Secretary, Finance Department Amaravathi, Guntur District. 1. The Secretariat * 2. The Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration Department, State of Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, Amaravathi, Guntur District. 3. The District Collector, Visakhapatnam District at Visakhapatnam. 4. The Commissioner, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnam. 5. The Engineer-in-Chief, Municipal Adiministration Vijayawada, N.T.R. District. 6. The Executive Engineer, Grater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnam. 7. The Superintending Engineer, Grater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnam. 8. One CC to Sri P.V.V.Satyanarayana, Advocate [OPUC] 9. Two CCs to GP for Finance & Planning, High Court of Andhra Pradesh. [OUT] 10. Two CCs to GP for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, High Court of Andhra Pradesh. [OUT] One CC to Sri A.S.C.Bose, SC for MUNC & MUNC Corporation. 11. [OPUC] 12. Three CD Copies. gi HIGH COURT DATED:03/02/2025 ORDER WP.No.1818 of 2025 I 0 ^ mar 2025 Current Section . o\ DISPOSING OF THE WRIT PETITION WITHOUT COSTS