IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE SEVENTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA WRIT PETITION No. 33897 of 1997 Between: Kantamaneni Srinivasa Rao S/o Raghavaiah ... PETITIONER AND 1 The Govt. of A.P., rep by its Secretary, Transport Roads & Buildings, Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad. 2 The Engineer-in-Chief, Panchayat Raj Department, Erramanzil, Hyderabad. 3 The Executive Engineer, Panchayat Raj, Tenali, Guntur district. 4 The Executive Engineer, Panchayat Raj, Guntur. 5 The Executive Engineer, Panchayat Raj, Krishna, Chilakalapudi, Krishna district. 6 The Executive Engineer, R & B, Krishna, Machilipatnam. 7 The Executive Engineer, Public Health, Guntur. .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to issue an appropriate writ, order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring G.O.Ms.No. 6-T, R & B (B.III) Department dated 12.1.1996 as illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable, void and consequently direct the respondents to follow the procedure of collecting the seigniorage fee from the bills of the contractors at the time of payment of bills payable to the petitioner in accordance with G.O.Ms.No.205, Transport, Roads and Buildings (B.III) Department dated 8.10.1993. Counsel for the Petitioner : Mr.VASIREDDY PRABHUNATH Counsel for Respondents : G.P. FOR ROADS & BUILDINGS The Court made the following : ORDER: This writ petition is filed seeking to declare the G.O.Ms.No.6, Transport, Roads & Buildings Department dated 12.1.1996 as illegal, arbitrary and irrational and consequently to direct the respondents to restore the old procedure for recovering the seigniorage charges from the bills of the petitioners-contractors by the R & B Department in accordance with G.O.Ms.No.205 Transport, R & B, dated 8.10.1993. It is submitted by the learned Special Government Pleader for Taxes and admitted to by the learned counsel for the petitioners that the subject matter of this writ petition is squarely covered by the common order passed by this Court in W.P.No. 7456 of 1998 and batch, dated 7.10.1998. In the circumstances, following the common order of this Court in W.P.No. 7456 of 1998 and batch, dated 7.10.1998, this writ petition is dismissed for the same and similar reasons. No costs. However, it is made clear that the conditions stipulated in G.O.Ms.No.6 dated 12.1.1996 are applicable only in respect of the contracts for which the agreements are executed on or after 12.1.1996, and the works covered prior to that date shall be processed under G.O.Ms.No.205 dated 8.10.1993. If the petitioners had already drawn their bills pending payment of seigniorage fee, they shall now pay the same within a period of eight weeks from today, if not already paid. If the petitioners failed to comply with the condition, they shall also pay the penalty of five times, if the agreements are concluded and civil works carried out beyond 12.1.1996, within a period of six weeks from today. _____________ N.V.RAMANA, J Date: 7.4.2005 DA/SVV To 1 The Secretary, Govt. of A.P., Transport Roads & Buildings, Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad. 2 The Engineer-in-Chief, Panchayat Raj Department, Erramanzil, Hyderabad. 3 The Executive Engineer, Panchayat Raj, Tenali, Guntur district. 4 The Executive Engineer, Panchayat Raj, Guntur. 5 The Executive Engineer, Panchayat Raj, Krishna, Chilakalapudi, Krishna district. 6 The Executive Engineer, R & B, Krishna, Machilipatnam. 7 The Executive Engineer, Public Health, Guntur. 8 Two CCs to the G.P. for R & B, High Court Buildings, Hyderabad (OUT). 9 Two CD copies.