M VARALAKSHMI Vs. HINDUSTAN CORPORATION LTD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the District Collector and District Magistrate, East Godavari District shall stand impleaded as respondent No.5 in the writ petition on whose behalf the learned Government Pleader takes notice.

(2.) The petitioner in the instant writ petition prays for issuance of a Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in not finalizing the selection for distributorship of LPG for HP gas at Khasimkota in Visakhapatnam District as unjust and arbitrary. The petitioner also prays for a consequential direction directing the respondents to forthwith grant the necessary distributorship in favour of the petitioner.

(3.) The petitioner herein claims that she hails from 'Konda Reddi Tribal Community' which is recognised as a Scheduled Tribe. It is stated that the petitioner prosecuted her education and obtained MBA degree from Andhra University, all through being treated as belonging to ST category. The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation has taken up an advertisement on 25-6-1998 in all the leading newspapers inviting applications for LP Gas distributorship for HP gas. Out of the three locations that were identified, we are concerned for the present with the proposed distributorship at Khasimkota rural area in Visakhapatnam District. It is reserved for ST category. The petitioner is an applicant along with others. She appeared for the interview on 25-2-1999 along with two other candidates. The petitioner made available her caste certificate vouching her social status as ST candidate.