APHC010451582025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3327] WEDNESDAY, THE 15th DAY OF JULY 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K. SREENIVASA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO: 23786/2025 Between: 1. VUNNAM ADI SHESHAGIRI RAO, S/O. RAGHAVAIAH, AGED ABOUT 47 YEARS, D.NO. 1-231, PETA SANNE GANDIA VILLAGE KAREMPUDI MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT, A.P ...PETITIONER AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, PANCHAYAT RAJ AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SECRETARIAT, VELAGAPUDI, GUNTUR DISTRICT. 2. THE COMMISSIONER OF PANCHAYAT RAJ AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, D. NO. 12-47, PVS ICON, PATHURU CROSS ROAD, TADEPALLI, AMARAVATHI, ANDHRA PRADESH. 3. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, FINANCE DEPARTMENT, SECRETARIAT, VELAGAPUDI, GUNTUR DISTRICT. 4. THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR, NARASARAOPET, PALNADU DISTRICT. A.P 5. THE DY EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, PRI, SUB- DIVISION, MACHARLA PALNADU DISTRICT, A.P. 6. THE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, M.P, KAREMPUDI MANDAL, PALNADU DISTRICT, A.P. 7. THE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, G AND RWS AND S SECTION KAREMPUDI MANDAL, PALNADU DISTRICT, A.P. 8. THE MANDAL PARISHAD DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, KAREMPUDI 2 SRK, J WP.No.23786 of 2025 MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT, A.P. 9. THE PANCHAYATH SECRETARY, PETASANNIGANDIA PANCHAYATH, KAREMPUDI MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT, A.P. 10. THE SARPANCH, PETASANNIGANDIA PANCHAYATH, KAREMPUDI MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT, A.P. ...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 one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the inaction on the part of the respondents herein not releasing the Part bills amount worth of Rs.18,65,014/-(Rupees Eighteen lakhs sixty five thousand and fourteen only) with interest @ 12percent p.a., as per the Judgment of this Hon ble Court In W.P. No.19525/2021 (W.P. No. 10038/2021and Batch) dated 05.10.2021 under grant of VPF to the petitioner till today after execution of 6 works and causing heavy loss with Interest even though the works were completed within time as illegal. arbitrary and violative of Article 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India and consequentially direct the Respondents to release and pay the Part bills amount worth of Rs.18,65,014/-(Rupees Eighteen lakhs sixty five thousand and fourteen only) with Interest under grant of VPF forthwith to the petitioner and pass such IA 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 may be pleased to direct the respondents to release and pay the Part bills amount worth of Rs.18,65,014/-(Rupees Eighteen lakhs sixty five thousand and fourteen only) with Interest under grant of VPF forthwith to the petitioner, pending disposal of the above writ petition and pass such Counsel for the Petitioner: 1. SRINIVASA RAO NARRA Counsel for the Respondent(S): 1. GP FOR PANCHAYAT RAJ RURAL DEV 2. Mattegunta.Sudhir,Standing Counsel For Z.P.Ps,M.P.Ps,Gram Panchayats 3. GP FOR FINANCE PLANNING The Court made the following: 3 SRK, J WP.No.23786 of 2025 O R D E R This Writ Petition is filed seeking the following relief: “….to issue a Writ, Order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the inaction on the part of the respondents herein not releasing the Part bills amount worth of Rs.18,65,014/- with interest @ 12% p.a., as per the Judgment of this Hon’ble Court In W.P.No.19525/2021 (W.P. No. 10038/2021 and Batch) dated 05.10.2021 under grant of VPF to the petitioner till today after execution of six works and causing heavy loss with Interest even though the works were completed within time as illegal, arbitrary and violative of Article 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India and consequentially direct the Respondents to release and pay the Part bills amount worth of Rs.18,65,014/- with Interest under grant of VPF forthwith to the petitioner and pass such other order…” 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development and the learned Standing Counsel for the Gram Panchayat. 3. The petitioner claims to be a registered contractor engaged in the execution of civil works and that he was entrusted with various works of the Panchayat Raj Department and the Roads & Buildings Department on a tender basis. It is the case of the petitioner that he was awarded a contract for execution of the works as mentioned above. It is the case of the petitioner that he deposited the requisite security amount and executed the works to the satisfaction of the authorities concerned, and upon completion of the works, the respondent authorities measured the same and recorded the measurements in the Measurement Books. 4. It is the grievance of the petitioner that notwithstanding the completion of the works and its measurement by the competent authorities, the amount due towards the executed works has not been paid till date. According to the petitioner, although the works were completed long back, the respondent authorities are not releasing the admitted amount payable to him. Aggrieved by the non-payment of the said amount, the petitioner filed the present Writ Petition. 4 SRK, J WP.No.23786 of 2025 5. On a perusal of the M-Book, it is evident that the respondents have acknowledged that the petitioner executed the subject works and that, from time to time, bills for various amounts were passed by the respondent authorities. The relevant entries are reflected at pages 41 to 45 of the affidavit filed by the petitioner. 6. On the other hand, despite the lapse of nearly one year, learned Standing Counsel for the Gram Panchayat has not chosen to file a counter- affidavit till date. Since the petitioner has executed the subject works and the respondent authorities have acknowledged that the bills relating to such works were passed on various dates, the petitioner is entitled to payment of the undisputed amount. 7. In view of the above, the respondent authorities are directed to pay the undisputed amount due to the petitioner within a period of eight (8) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. 8. 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: 15.07.2026. MS 5 SRK, J WP.No.23786 of 2025 HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE K. SREENIVASA REDDY Writ Petition No:23786 of 2025 Date: 15.07.2026 MS