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IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA

AT HYDERABAD

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NAGESH BHEEMAPAKA

WRIT PETITION Nos.40019 and 40249 of 2025

Dated: 30.12.2025

W.P.No.40019 of 2025

Between:

M/S. Mallikarjuna Rice Industries

…Petitioner

AND

The State of Telangana & four others

…Respondents

&

W.P.No.40249 of 2025

Between:

M/S. Veekshitha Rice Industries

…Petitioner

AND

The State of Telangana & four others

…Respondents

COMMON ORDER:

Heard Sri Challa Srinivasa Reddy, learned counsel for the

petitioner; learned Government Pleader for Energy, for respondent

No.1; Sri N. Sreedhar Reddy, learned Standing Counsel for

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TGSPDCL, for respondent Nos.2 to 4 and learned Government

Pleader for Revenue, for respondent No.5.

2. These two writ petitions are taken up together and disposed

of by way of this common order, as the issues involved are similar

and arise out of identical facts.

3. The petitioners in both writ petitions are proprietors of rice

mills situated in Maddur Mandal, Narayanapet District, holding

valid electricity service connections bearing S.C. No. 0168100561

and S.C. No. NPT1453 respectively. It is stated that the petitioners’

rice mills were established after obtaining all necessary

permissions, and the petitioners have been regularly paying their

electricity bills without any arrears. The grievance of the petitioners

is that respondent Nos.2 to 4 disconnected the electricity supply to

their rice mills, allegedly on the basis of letters issued by

respondent No. 5, the Collector (Civil Supplies), Narayanapet

District, for non-payment of the alleged defaulted amounts of

Rs.3,94,06,009/- and Rs.4,66,79,561/- respectively. It is stated

that the said disconnection is illegal, arbitrary, violative of the

principles of natural justice, contrary to the rules of the Electricity

Department, and unconstitutional. It is further stated that the

alleged liability towards shortage of CMR paddy stocks is disputed,

that the petitioners have submitted their replies to the show-cause

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notices, and that the imposition of penalty and interest is contrary

to the applicable rules. Therefore, the petitioners seek restoration

of electricity supply to their rice mills.

4. Per contra, learned counsel appearing for the respondents

vehemently opposed the maintainability of the writ petitions. They

submit that large-scale shortages of government paddy stocks were

found during inspections conducted by the competent authorities

and that criminal cases have been registered against the

petitioners for offences under the Indian Penal Code and the

Essential Commodities Act. They further submit that the

petitioners are defaulters to the tune of several crores of rupees

payable to the Government and that, despite clear instructions to

stop milling operations until clearance of dues, they continued

operations. In those circumstances, respondent No.5-Collector

(Civil Supplies) requested the electricity department to disconnect

power supply to prevent further misuse, and the same was done in

accordance with law.

5. During the course of hearing, this Court put a specific query

to learned counsel for the petitioners as to whether the petitioners

are willing to pay the entire defaulted amounts, if so calculated, to

enable restoration of power supply to the their mills, he

categorically denied the same, contending that the very calculation

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of the alleged dues is wrong. At the same time, it is evident that the

petitioners dispute the quantum and legality of the demand raised

by the Civil Supplies Department.

6. This Court is of the considered view that the dispute raised

by the petitioners primarily relates to the correctness of calculation

of shortage of paddy, levy of penalty and interest, and the

consequential liability. Such disputed questions of fact, involving

examination of records, accounts, and factual adjudication, cannot

be gone into under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. The writ

jurisdiction is not meant for determination of complex factual

disputes or for adjudicating upon the