P a g e | 1 APHC010149482023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) TUESDAY, THE 6th DAY OF OCTOBER 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE BALAJI MEDAMALLI WRIT PETITION NO: 7651 OF 2023 Between: 1. M ARUNA, W/o Sudheer Naik, Aged about 32 Yrs, Occ. Housewife, R/o Kalicherla village, N O palli Thanda, Chittoor District. ...Petitioner AND 1. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, Rep by its Secretary Women and Child Welfare Department, Secretariat, Velagapudi. 2. The District Collector-cum-Project Officer District Women and Child Welfare Department, Annamayya District. 3. The Project Director, District Women and Child Welfare Department, Chittoor District. 4. The Project Officer, ICDS District Women and Child Welfare Department, Thamballapalle, Chittoor District. 5. B Soujanya, W/o Balaji Naik, Aged 30 years, Occ: Employee, R/o Nathiobarmagari Palli, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal, Annamaya District-517297. ...Respondents 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 P a g e | 2 pleased to issue a Writ/Order/s more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the respondent Nos.2 to 4 in appointing the respondent No.5 as Anganwadi Worker of N O Palli Thanda, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal, as being illegal, arbitrary and violative of notification issued by the respondent Nos.2 to 4 and guidelines and consequently set aside the appointment of respondent No.5 as Anganwadi Worker of N O Palli Thanda, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal and direct the respondent Nos.2 to 4 to appoint the petitioner as Anganwadi Worker of N 0 Palli Thanda, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal and be pleased to pass IA NO: 1 OF 2023 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 issue interim directions to the respondent nos.2 to 4 not to continue the services of respondent no.5 as Anganwadi Worker of N O Palli Thanda, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal, pending disposal of Writ Petition and be pleased to pass Counsel for the Petitioner: V VENKATA MAYUR Counsel for the Respondents: M SOLOMON RAJU Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR SERVICES II The Court made the following order: P a g e | 3 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE BALAJI MEDAMALLI WRIT PETITION NO: 7651 OF 2023 O R D E R : 1. Heard Sri V. Venkata Mayur, learned counsel for petitioner; Sri P.L.V.S. Prasad Babu, learned Assistant Government Pleader appearing for respondents Nos.1 to 4; and Sri M. Solomon Raju, assisted by Ms. M.M. Siri Pallavi, learned counsel for respondent No.5. 2. The Writ Petition is filed for the following relief: “……….. to issue a Writ/Order/s more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the respondent Nos.2 to 4 in appointing the respondent No.5 as Anganwadi Worker of N.O.Palli Thanda, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal, as being illegal, arbitrary and violative of notification issued by the respondent Nos.2 to 4 and guidelines and consequently set aside the appointment of respondent No.5 as Anganwadi Worker of N O Palli Thanda, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal and direct the respondent Nos.2 to 4 to appoint the petitioner as Anganwadi Worker of N O Palli Thanda, Kalicherla Post, Peddamandyam Mandal……..” 3. Brief facts, as averred in the affidavit, are that ICDS issued Notification No.509/A2/2022, dated January 2023, prescribing residential and documentary eligibility conditions for the post of Anganwadi Worker at N.O. Palli Thanda. Petitioner applied for the post and objected to respondent No.5’s candidature on the ground that she was not a resident of the notified area and did not possess the requisite Ration Card or Residence Certificate. Despite the objections, respondent No.5 was selected on 21.03.2023 and joined duty on 23.03.2023. Petitioner contends that the appointment is contrary to the notification, illegal and arbitrary, and seeks its setting aside. P a g e | 4 4. Respondent No.4 filed a counter-affidavit contending that respondent No.5, at the time of submitting her application, had complied with all the prescribed requirements and furnished the mandatory documents in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in G.O.Ms.No.21, dated 24.08.2007, and G.O.Ms.No.18, dated 15.05.2015. In support of her eligibility, respondent No.5 produced community and nativity certificates issued by the Tahsildar on 17.05.2017 and 09.01.2023, respectively, apart from her voter identity card and Aadhaar card, both dating back to 2013. Respondents contend that, as respondent No.5 fulfilled the prescribed eligibility criteria, she was duly selected through the selection process in accordance with the applicable rules. 5. In view of the specific averments made in the counter-affidavit and the documents placed on record by the respondents, this Court finds no violation of the applicable rules or guidelines in the appointment of respondent No.5. Accordingly, no ground is made out for interference with the impugned order. 6. In the result, the writ petition is dismissed. No order as to costs. As a sequel, all miscellaneous applications, pending, if any, shall stand closed. __________________________ JUSTICE BALAJI MEDAMALLI Date: 06.10.2026 SAK P a g e | 5 166 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE BALAJI MEDAMALLI WRIT PETITION NO: 7651 OF 2023 Date: 06.10.2026 SAK