EXPRESS PACKERS AND MOVERS v. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH
WP/19316/2024 · 2026-02-08
Venkateswarlu Nimmagadda
body2026
DailyLaw.ai
[ 2026 DAILYLAW 21818 (AP) · dailylaw.ai ]
DailyLaw.ai
[ 2026 DAILYLAW 21818 (AP) · dailylaw.ai ]
Judgment text
Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE VENKATESWARLU NIMMAGADDA
WRIT PETITION No.19316 OF 2024
ORDER:
1. The petitioner had been awarded contract work of packing and moving office files/furniture/computers from Guntur to Vijayawada. After execution of the said work, a final bill was prepared for a sum of Rs.3,96,000/-. As the payment of the said amount has not been made by the respondents, the petitioner has approached this Court by way of this writ petition.
2. It is the contention of the petitioner that even though the respondents admitted that the petitioner is entitled for payment of the aforesaid sum of money, no payment is being made. The petitioner contends that such non-payment of money is clearly arbitrary and high- handed requiring the interference of this Court.
3. This Court, in various orders, including the judgment of a learned Single Judge of this Court dated 05.10.2021 in W.P.No.10038 of 2021 and batch had taken the view that such non-payment of dues is arbitrary and that such dues need to be cleared by the respondents at the earliest.
4. On the other hand, learned Government Pleader for Medical & Health while admitting about the claim of the petitioner placed on record instructions received from the Director, Drugs Control Administration, Vijayawada dated 05.02.2026. He would submit that, an amount of Rs.2,50,000/- was already claimed by the petitioner on 31.10.2025 vide
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Bill No.2025-1599696 as against the original bill amount of Rs.3,96,000/- and only Rs.1,46,000/- is to be paid. He further submits that since the budget was not released by the Government, the bills were not paid to the petitioner. Soon after release of the budget by the Government, the bills will be paid to the petitioner.
5. In view of the aforesaid directions of this Court in various cases and after hearing the submissions of learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Government Pleader for Medical & Health, this Writ Petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents to release the amount of Rs.1,46,000/- to the petitioner along with the interest @ 6% per annum, in view of the
judgment of the Hon’ble Division Bench of this Court in Writ Appeal No.724 of 2021 and batch dated 12.10.2023, within a period of two (02) months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. It would also be open to the petitioner to agitate his claim for higher rate of interest, if any payable by the respondents, in an appropriate forum. There shall be no
order as to costs.
6. Consequently, Miscellaneous Petitions, if any, pending in this Writ Petition shall stand closed.
_____________________________________ VENKATESWARLU NIMMAGADDA, J 09.02.2026
SP