Y SRINIVASA RAO Vs. J VEERAIAH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Special leave is granted.

(2.) The case relates to the appointment of a dealer of a fair price shop in Andhra Pradesh. An advertisement for the purpose was issued on 16-4-1990 as per Annexure A inviting applications from the eligible candidates subject to, inter alia, the following conditions:

(3.) Admittedly the appellant is an unemployed graduate in Commerce and has the experience of running a fair price shop in the past, while the only qualification claimed by the respondent No. 1, is that he has passed the school examination up to 10th class only. The impugned appointment was made by the authority after holding an interview and it is the case of the appellant that the Revenue Divisional Officer merely enquired from him about his bio-data without putting any further question by which the merits could have been judged. On that sole basis the shop was allotted to the respondent. Considering the criteria, as mentioned in the advertisement, the Collector accepted the claim of the appellant, pointing out that the appellant was a better candidate from every angle. The High Court has quashed his judgment by condemning it as perverse but without indicating any reason for such a view.