Date of reserved for orders Date of pronouncement Date of uploading APHC010259442026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH Monday, the Twenty second day of June, Two Thousand and Twenty Six The Honourable Ms.Justice B.S.Bhanumathi Writ Petition No.14276 of 2026 Between: 1. Smt.Jalagam Mangayamma, W/o.Satyanarayana, aged about 66 years, occupation:retired teacher, R/o. Kota Buttayagudem Mandal, West Godavari District. 1. The State of Andhra Pradesh, represented by its Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, Secretariat, Velagapudi, Guntur 2. The District Collector and agent to the Government, Polavaram District at Rampachodavaram, Erstwhile Alluri Seetharama Raju District, Andhra Pradesh – 533 288. 3. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Rampachodavaram, Polavaram District, (Erstwhile Alluri Seetha Rama Raju District, Andhra Pradesh 4. Yelagada Nageswara Rao, S/o.Late Ayyappa, R/o.Indukuru village, Devipatnam Mandal, Polavaram District, (Erstwhile A.S.R.District), Andhra Pradesh Pradesh Neutral Citation:___________ Date of reserved for orders : : 22.06.2026 : IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) second day of June, Two Thousand and Twenty Six Present The Honourable Ms.Justice B.S.Bhanumathi Writ Petition No.14276 of 2026 mt.Jalagam Mangayamma, W/o.Satyanarayana, aged about 66 years, occupation:retired teacher, R/o. Kota Ramachandrapuram village, Buttayagudem Mandal, West Godavari District. ... Petitioner and he State of Andhra Pradesh, represented by its Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, Secretariat, Velagapudi, Guntur District he District Collector and agent to the Government, Polavaram District at Rampachodavaram, Erstwhile Alluri Seetharama Raju District, Andhra Divisional Magistrate, Rampachodavaram, Polavaram District, (Erstwhile Alluri Seetha Rama Raju District, Andhra Pradesh – elagada Nageswara Rao, S/o.Late Ayyappa, R/o.Indukuru village, Devipatnam Mandal, Polavaram District, (Erstwhile A.S.R.District), Andhra Pradesh Pradesh-533286. ...Respondents Neutral Citation:___________ IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH [3311] second day of June, Two Thousand and Twenty Six mt.Jalagam Mangayamma, W/o.Satyanarayana, aged about 66 years, Ramachandrapuram village, ... Petitioner he State of Andhra Pradesh, represented by its Principal Secretary, District-522 237. he District Collector and agent to the Government, Polavaram District at Rampachodavaram, Erstwhile Alluri Seetharama Raju District, Andhra Divisional Magistrate, Rampachodavaram, Polavaram District, – 533 288. elagada Nageswara Rao, S/o.Late Ayyappa, R/o.Indukuru village, Devipatnam Mandal, Polavaram District, (Erstwhile A.S.R.District), espondents 2 BSB,J W.P.No.14276 of 2026 Counsel for the petitioner: 1. Musudi Babji Counsel for the respondents: 1. Government Pleader for Revenue 2. Government Pleader for irrigation and Commercial Area Development 3 BSB,J W.P.No.14276 of 2026 The Court made the following Order: This writ petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a writ or order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of mandamus declaring the action of the 2nd respondent in not disposing of the appeal in A.S.No.1/2020 which is filed by the petitioner against the order passed by the 3rd respondent in O.S.No.05 of 2016 dated 03.03.2020 though 6 (Six) years elapsed is wholly illegal, arbitrary and unjust and contrary to law and consequently direct the 2nd respondent to dispose of the appeal in A.S.No.1/2020 filed by the petitioner in the interest of justice and to pass such other order, which this Court deems fit in the interest of justice. 02. The learned Assistant Government Pleader for Revenue placed on record a copy of written instructions of 2nd respondent vide Ref.No.Lands /12 / 2026, dated 20.06.2026 where in it is mentioned as below : “ It is submitted that during formation of new Districts coterminous to parliamentary constituencies vide G.O.Rt.Nos.173 to 198 Revenue (Lands-IV) dated 2nd April, 2022, creating 25+1 (26) districts with effect from 04-04-2022 and later on vide G.O.Ms.Nos.517 & 524 Revenue (Lands-IV) dated 30.12.2025, creating 26+2 (28) districts, wherein Polavaram District is newly formed District vide G.O.Ms.No.517, Revenue (Lands-IV) Department, dated 30.12.2025. As such the scheduled areas of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were created as Parvathipuram Manyam District and the schedule area of West Godavari was tagged to the Eluru District and schedule area of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts were created as Alluru Seetharama Raju District, later on some portion of Alluri Seetharama Raju District was created as “POLAVARAM DISTRICT” on 30.12.2025. 4 BSB,J W.P.No.14276 of 2026 It is further submitted the Civil Justice of the Scheduled Areas under the control of the District Collectors under the designation of Agent to the Government as per the Agency Laws. But no efforts have been made to amend Section 1(4) of CPC and Rule 1 of the Andhra Pradesh Agency Rules-1924 for non-application of Agency Laws to the present restructured Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari Districts as they have no agency tracts (Schedule areas) and for application of agency laws to the newly formed ASR, Pavathipuram Manyam and Eluru districts which are having Agency Tracts. Due to which, the Alluri Sitarama Raju, Parvathipuram Manyam and Eluru districts of notified schedule areas with sizable number of Schedule Tribes population facing hardships as no one has been appointed or designated as agents to oversee the administration of justice and implementation of so many protective legislations to protect the protected interests of the STs. As per Andhra Pradesh Agency Rules, 1924, the Governor of the then Madras Presidency for the administration of the Agency Tracts made the Agency Rules in consonance of Section 6 of the Scheduled District Act, 1874 for the Regulation of the procedure of the officers appointed in Agency Tracts. It is enshrined that the Collector and District Magistrate of West Godavari, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam under the Designation of Agent to Government shall be the Collector, District Magistrate and District Judge within the Agency Tracts included in the respective Districts. Due to the bifurcation / reorganization, the State of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana adopted the Madras Agency Rules in their respective Agency areas for administration of justice for over a century. At present, even the new districts of Alluri Sitharama Raju (Paderu), the Parvathipuram Manyam (Parvathipuram), Eluru and the 5 BSB,J W.P.No.14276 of 2026 Polavaram (Rampachodavaram) are comprising the Scheduled Areas, the A.P.Agency Rules were not so far extended to them. Without designating an Agent to the Government on the respective District Collectors on application of these rules, raises concerns about the implementation of the Fifth Schedule’s provisions as well as Civil Justice under A.P.Agency Rules, 1924. However, the subject files are being under transfer from the Erstwhile Alluri Seetharama Raju District and further the subject case will be forwarded to the Project Officer, ITDA, Rampachodavaram who is having designation as “Additional Agent to Government “ at Rampachodavaram and he will be directed to dispose of the Appeal suit within the period of 3 months.” 03. In view thereof, the learned counsel for the petitioner requested to dispose of the writ petition giving sufficient time for the respondent No.2 to dispose of the appeal without any further delay. 04. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of directing respondent No.2 to hear and dispose of the appeal A.S.No.01 of 2020 within three (03) months from the date of receipt of this order. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, miscellaneous petitions, if any, pending in this writ petition shall stand closed. ___________________ ___ JUSTICE B.S. BHANUMATHI Date: 22.06.2026 Note: CC by 29.06.2026 GRL Whether the order is : Speaking Yes Reasoned Reportable Non-reportable Yes 6 BSB,J W.P.No.14276 of 2026 180 THE HONOURABLE MS JUSTICE B.S.BHANUMATHI WRIT PETITION NO:14276 of 2026 Date: 22.06.2026 Note: CC by 29.06.2026 GRL 7 BSB,J W.P.No.14276 of 2026