HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.3156 of 2014 Date:13.11.2014 Between:
M/s Annapurna Indane Gas Agency, reptd by its Managing Partner- M.Venkataramana Naidu . Petitioner And:
The Govt of A.P., reptd by its Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies (CS.I) Department, Hyderabad and six others.
. Respondents Counsel for the Petitioner: None appeared Counsel for Respondent Nos.1 to 5: AGP for Civil Supplies (Andhra Pradesh) Counsel for Respondent Nos.6 & 7: None appeared The Court made the following:
ORDER:
The grievance of the petitioner is that it was not allocated the additional quota of gas connections under ‘Deepam’ scheme, whereas respondent Nos.6 and 7 were given additional allocation of 1,130 and 100 gas connections, respectively. This action is assailed in this Writ Petition.
At the hearing, there is no representation for the petitioner. I have heard learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies (Andhra Pradesh) and perused the record.
The petitioner holds an LPG agency from Indian Oil Corporation Limited. Under proceedings No.Supdt./2425- A(1)Deepam/2012, dated 17.11.2013, of respondent No.3, gas connections were allocated for the year 2013-14, in which the petitioner was allocated 250 gas connections. Subsequently, under the impugned proceedings No.Supdt./2425-A(1)/Deepam/2012, dated 22.12.2013, of respondent No.3, respondent Nos.6 and 7 were given additional allotment of gas cylinders.
Respondent No.4 filed a counter-affidavit, wherein he sought to justify the action in giving additional allocation of gas connections to respondent Nos.6 and 7.
The sum and substance of the stand of respondent No.4 in his counter-affidavit is that when gas connections were initially allocated on 17.11.2013, no specific requisition was made by the Minister of Endowments, who also happened to be an MLC, for Mandal wise allotment and that thereafter, on the representation of the Minister of Endowments in which Mandal wise quota was requested for 4,000 Deepam connections for the year 2013-14, the allocations were revised to ensure that Oil company wise allocations were made. It is further stated that due to lack of clarity on the respective jurisdictions of the MLCs, who are seven in the District, 2,000 'Deepam' connections, which were sanctioned under the MLC quota, were not properly allocated in the year 2013-14 and that subsequently, the same had to be revised in order to address the above-mentioned administrative need.
No reply-affidavit is filed controverting the averments made in the counter-affidavit.
In my opinion, if re-allocation of gas connections was necessitated on account of administrative exigencies, the petitioner cannot legitimately complain of such re- allocation, even if the same has resulted in reduction of the connections. As the action of respondent No.3 appears to be impelled by administrative need, this Court has no reason to interfere with such administrative decision in exercise of jurisdiction under Article-226 of the Constitution of India.
For the above-mentioned reasons, the Writ Petition is without any merit and the same is, accordingly, dismissed.
As a sequel, W.P.M.P.No.3875 of 2014 is dismissed as infructuous.
13th November 2014 DR JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY