HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE C.V.BHASKAR REDDY WRIT PETITION No.14585 of 2025

ORDER:

This writ petition is filed seeking to declare the inaction of respondent No.4 in issuing Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificate valid for the year 2023-24, in spite of clear directions in Lr.No.C3/828/2025, dated 19.04.2025 issued by respondent No.2 to reconsider the application bearing No.EWS0224005001856, dated 21.02.2024 for issuance of EWS certificate valid for the year 2023-24, as illegal, arbitrary and consequently prayed this Court for other appropriate reliefs.

2. Considered the submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties and with their consent, this writ petition is disposed of at the admission stage.

3. It is stated that since the annual income of the petitioner is Rs.1,00,000/- per annum, which falls below the prescribed income limit of Rs.8,00,000/- per annum as per G.O.Ms.No.244 dated 24.08.2021, the petitioner is eligible to avail the benefits of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation and the petitioner meets the eligibility criteria to benefit from the 10% reservation provided under the EWS category. It is further stated that in order to avail the benefits of EWS reservation, the petitioner applied for the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) Group I exam notification for the year 2024 under the EWS category vide Hall Ticket No.245803273 and secured a merit rank of 478 and in order to avail the benefits and reservation under the EWS category, the petitioner made an application dated vide No.EWS0224005001856, dated 21.02.2024 to respondent No.4 for issuance of EWS certificate for the year 2023-2024. The grievance of the petitioner is that on 12.12.2024, respondent No.4 rejected the said application without issuing any notice on the ground of not enclosing proper documents. Aggrieved by the same, the petitioner has made an application in prajavani to respondent No.2 on 17.03.2025 and respondent No.2, after due consideration, issued a communication vide Lr.No.C3/828/2025, dated 19.04.2025, addressed to respondent No.4 directing to consider the EWS application submitted by the petitioner. In pursuance to the said letter, the Mandal Revenue Officer, duly verified the petitioner’s documents and processed the application, however, due to technical error, the EWS certificate was erroneously issued for the financial year 2025-26 instead of 2023-24. Even though the said error is informed, the MRO has refused to rectify the same. Therefore, the present writ petition. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner contends respondent No.4- Tahsildar, who is the competent authority to assess the annual income of a particular family and the eligibility criteria in terms of the G.O.Ms.No.244 dated 24.08.2021, has rejected the application dated 06.08.2023 submitted by the petitioner on the ground of not enclosing proper documents, without issuing any notice to the petitioner or conducting any enquiry, which is contrary to G.O.Ms.No.244 dated 24.08.2021 and against the principles of natural justice. He further contends that despite respondent No.2 having addressed a letter vide Lr.No.C3/828/2025, dated 19.04.2025, to respondent No.4, to consider the EWS application submitted by the petitioner for the year 2023-24, respondent No.4 has issued EWS certificate for the year 2025-26 and even after informed the same, respondent No.4 has not taken any action.

5. Learned Assistant Government Pleader for Revenue appearing for the respondents submitted that if the petitioner makes a fresh application for issuance of EWS certificate for the year 2022-2023 (financial year 2021- 2022) by duly enclosing all the required documents as per G.O.Ms.No.244 dated 24.08.2021, the respondents would consider the said application.

7. In view of the said submissions, this Court deems it appropriate to dispose of the writ petition permitting the petitioner make a fresh application for issuance of EWS certificate for the year 2023-2024 by duly enclosi