THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T. MADHAVI DEVI WRIT PETITION NO.20398 OF 2025

O R D E R

In this Writ Petition, the petitioner is challenging the proceedings No.B/15/2024 dt.30.04.2025 issued by the 3^rd respondent taking away 280 Food Security Cards from the petitioner and giving them to the 6^th respondent without any notice to the petitioner and without conducting any enquiry and also the inaction of the official respondents in rationalizing and allotting 300 Food Security Cards to the petitioner, as illegal, arbitrary and in violation of principles of natural justice and consequently to direct the official respondents to rationalize and allot 300 Food Security Cards to the petitioner in terms of G.O.Rt.No.55, Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supplies (CSI-CCS) Department, dt.12.05.2015 and to pass such other order or orders.

2. Brief facts leading to the filing the present Writ Petition are that the petitioner was appointed as a dealer of Fair Price Shop No.3612041 situated at Markandeya Colony, Godavarikhani, Ramagundam Mandal, Peddapalli District on 26.06.2009 and the petitioner claims to be running the said shop without any complaints so far. It is submitted that subsequently the petitioner was appointed as incharge dealer of Fair Price Shop No.3612054 sitauted at Annapurna Colony, NTPC since the dealer of the said shop, i.e., the 7^th respondent has become sick. However, after recovery, the 7^th respondent submitted an application on

05.05.2025 to reinstate her as dealer of Fair Price Shop No.3612054.

3. It is submitted that in the year 2015, the Government issued G.O.Rt.No.55 dt.12.05.2015 for rationalisation of the cards fixing the limit of 800 to 1000 cards within Corporation limits for the economic viability of the fair price shops. The petitioner had 660 cards and therefore, he submitted an application to rationalize and allot a total of 1000 cards vide letter dt.25.11.2024. In view thereof, the 3^rd respondent, vide letter dt.07.03.2025, directed respondents 4 and 5 to furnish the list of 300 Food Security Cards to be moved to the petitioner’s fair price shop and on 21.03.2025 the 4^th respondent requested the 5^th respondent to send the list of 300 Food Security Cards to be moved to the petitioner’s shop. In response thereto, on 24.03.2025, the 5^th respondent furnished the list of 300 Food Security Cards to be moved to the petitioner’s shop from the fair price shop of the 6^th respondent who has already a total of 1380 cards. Aggrieved by the same, the 6^th respondent filed W.P.No.10414 of 2025 and this Court disposed of the said Writ Petition directing the respondents therein to consider the representation of the 6^th respondent herein that several of the card holders of his Fair Price Shop have either died or shifted from the locality and therefore, the cards with the 6^th respondent herein would be less than the required number of cards under G.O.Rt.No.55 dt.12.05.2015. The 6^th respondent was permitted to make a representation to this effect. On 28.04.2025, the 6^th respondent made a representation to the official respondents and on 30.04.2025, the 3^rd respondent has passed an order restoring 280 Food Security Cards to the 6^th respondent from the petitioner’s Fair Price Shop No.3612041. It is submitted that on 12.05.2025, the petitioner submitted a representation to rationalize and allot cards in terms of G.O.Rt.No.55 dt.12.05.2015, but the official respondents failed to consider the same. Therefore, the present Writ Petition is filed.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner, while reiterating the submissions made in the writ affidavit, submitted that the 6^th respondent had represented before this Court in the earlier Writ Petition in W.P.No.10414 of 2025 that there were several card holders who have either died or shifted from their places and therefore, number of such cards would have to be reduced and he sought an opportunity to make his submissions with regard to the cards and it was in these circumstances that this Court has