Date of reserved for orders : ----------- Date of pronouncement : 23.06.2026 Date of uploading : 29.06.2026 APHC010240342026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3327] TUESDAY,THE TWENTY THIRD DAY OF JUNE TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K. SREENIVASA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO: 12973/2026 Between: 1. GATTEM GURUNADH, , S/O LOKESWARA RAO, AGED 45 YEARS, OCC CONTRACTOR, R/O DOOR NO 8-11-23, CHOWK BAZAR, SRIKAKULAM TOWN, SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER AND 1. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY PANCHAYAT RAJ AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AP SECRETARIAT, VELAGAPUDI, AMARAVATI, GUNTUR DISTRICT - 522237. 2. DISTRICT COLLECTOR, SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT - 532001. 3. EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, PANCHAYAT RAJ ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, PRI DIVISION, O/O ZILLA PRAJA PARISHAD COMPOUND, SRIKAKULAM TOWN, SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT - 532001. 4. DEPUTY EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, PANCHAYAT RAJ ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, PRI SUB-DIVISION, O/O ZILLA PRAJA PARISHAD COMPOUND, SRIKAKULAM TOWN, SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT - 532001. 5. ASSISTANT ENGINEER/MANDAL ENGINEERING OFFICER, PANCHAYAT RAJ DEPARTMENT, PRI SUB-DIVISION, O/O MPDO, MANDAL PRAJA PARISHAD, SRIKAKULAM MANDAL SRIKAKULAM 2 SRK, J WP.No.12973 of 2026 DISTRICT - 532001. 6. MANDAL PARISHAD DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, MANDAL PRAJA PARISHAD, SRIKAKULAM MANDAL, PARAMKUSAM NAGAR COLONY, SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT - 532001. 7. THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, FINANCE DEPARTMENT, A.P. SECRETARIAT, VELAGAPUDI, AMARAVATI, GUNTUR DISTRICT - 532001. ...RESPONDENT(S): 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 pleased to issue a Writ, order or direction more particularly in the nature of WRIT OF MANDAMUS declaring the action of the Respondents in not paying amounts of Rs.4,08,702/- (Four Lakhs Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Two Rupees Only) to the petitioner for execution of works i.e construction of CC Road from New RBK building to Sri D. Kameswara Rao House of Brahmana Street in Bhyri Village, as illegal, arbitrary, violative of provisions of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and rules framed there under and offends Articles 14 and 21 of Constitution of India and consequently direct the respondents to pay the amounts of Rs.4,08,702/- (Four Lakhs Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Two Rupees Only) to the petitioner for execution of said works forthwith IA NO: 1 OF 2026 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 amounts of Rs.4,08,702/- (Four Lakhs Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Two Rupees Only) to the petitioner for execution of works i.e “construction of CC Road from New RBK building to Sri D. Kameswara Rao House of Brahmana Street in Bhyri Village” forthwith, pending disposal of the main writ petition Counsel for the Petitioner: 1. SRINIVAS AMBATI Counsel for the Respondent(S): 1. GP FOR PANCHAYAT RAJ RURAL DEV 2. GP FOR FINANCE PLANNING The Court made the following: 3 SRK, J WP.No.12973 of 2026 O R D E R This Writ Petition is filed seeking the following relief: “…to issue a Writ, order or direction more particularly in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the Respondents in not paying amounts of Rs.4,08,702/- to the petitioner for execution of works i.e construction of CC Road from New RBK building to Sri D. Kameswara Rao House of Brahmana Street in Bhyri Village, as illegal, arbitrary, violative of provisions of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and rules framed there under and offends Articles 14 and 21 of Constitution of India and consequently direct the respondents to pay the amounts of Rs.4,08,702/- (Four Lakhs Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Two Rupees Only) to the petitioner for execution of said works forthwith and pass such other order…” 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development. 3. The petitioner claims to be a registered contractor engaged in the execution of works undertaken by the Panchayat Raj Department and the Roads & Buildings Department through the tender process. It is his case that he was awarded a contract for execution of the work viz., construction of CC Road from New RBK building to Sri D. Kameswara Rao house of Brahmana Street in Bhyri Village, with an estimated cost of Rs.5,00,000/- under GGMP Funds (Gadapa Gadapaki Mana Prabhutwam). The petitioner further states that he deposited the requisite security amount and completed the work to the satisfaction of the concerned authorities. 4. The grievance of the petitioner is that, despite successful completion of the work, the admitted bill amount of Rs.4,08,702/- has not been paid, causing severe financial hardship. Aggrieved by the inaction of the respondent authorities in releasing the legitimate dues, the petitioner has approached this Court by filing the present writ petition. 4 SRK, J WP.No.12973 of 2026 5. Learned Assistant Government Pleader for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, on written instructions received from the Executive Engineer, PR, PIU Division, Srikakulam – 3rd respondent, submitted that there is no dispute with regard to the execution of the work by the petitioner. It is stated that an amount of Rs.4,35,142/- is payable to the petitioner, after statutory recoveries of Rs.61,741/-. It is further stated that the petitioner has claimed only the amount payable under Schedule-A, whereas the total bill value comprises both Schedule-A and Schedule-B components, including GST and other applicable charges. It is also submitted that proposals have already been forwarded to the competent authorities for release of the requisite grant towards payment of the said amount to the petitioner. The written instructions are taken on record. 6. In view of the undisputed execution of the work and the admitted liability, the respondent authorities are directed to pay Rs.4,35,142/- to the petitioner within a period of four (4) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. 7. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. As a sequel thereto, the miscellaneous applications, if any, pending in this Writ Petition, shall stand closed. _____________________________ JUSTICE K. SREENIVASA REDDY Date: 23.06.2026. MS Whether the order is: Speaking ☑ Reasoned Reportable Non-reportable ☑ 5 SRK, J WP.No.12973 of 2026 HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE K. SREENIVASA REDDY Writ Petition No:12973 of 2026 Date: 23.06.2026 MS