O R D E R

1. The petitioner is before this Court seeking issuance of a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to release the payment for the work executed by the petitioner, as recorded in the Measurement Book, in respect of the work undertaken by him.

2. The Town Panchayat, Kalakkad, had entrusted the petitioner with the work of construction of a retaining wall. According to the petitioner, he has completed about 80% of the work as per the work order. However, the remaining work could not be completed due to agitations by the local residents, and the Tahsildar concerned restrained the petitioner from proceeding further with the work. In these circumstances, the petitioner submitted a representation to respondents 1 to 3 seeking release of payment for the portion of work already completed.

3. It is brought to the notice of this Court that the Kalakkad Town Panchayat has subsequently been upgraded as Kalakkad Municipality, and therefore the said Municipality has been arrayed as the fourth respondent in this writ petition.

4. In order to substantiate