B. SUBHASHAN REDDY, J.

( 1 ) WHETHER women-reservation can be provided in the matter of allotment of fair-price shops and if so what should be the extent of such reservation and as to whether the said reservation can be 100% - are the vital questions for consideration in this batch of writ petitions.

( 2 ) FAIR price shops have been set-up by promulgating an order titled"andhra Pradesh Scheduled Commodities (Regulation and Distribution by Card System) Order, 1973 in exercise of the powers contained under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. At the inception, no reservation was stipulated, but preference was being given to the Co-operative Societies to run the fair-price shops. Class reservations grouped on caste basis were introduced in the year 1987 for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes at 15% and 6% respectively. 3% reservation was also provided to physically handicapped. Coming to 1988, there was a little change in the policy because of acute unemployment problem for education and as such, preference was being given to them by maintaining the reservations as stated above. In 1990, preference was directed to be given to women when other things and qualifications

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