IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) FRIDAY, THE EIGHTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE G. BIKSHAPATHY and THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE P.S.NARAYANA WRIT PETITION NO : 12555 of 2004 Between: 1 C.P.Doraiswamy, S/o C.P.Sarathy Mudaliar, Bus owner AP.03/U.6422 Chittoor 2 C.S.Suresh, S/o Singaram Mudaliar, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.4722; AP 03/U.3422 and AP.03/U.1222 3 L.Raghuraman, S/o A.Lokanatha Mudaliar, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.3219 4 R.S.Thirukumaran, S/o L.Raghuraman, Bus Owner, Chittoor TN.23 H.5319 5 Smt.R.Maheswari, W/o M.S.Rajendran, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.1684; AP.03/U.3349; AP.03/U.1693; AP.03/U.1694 AP.03/T.3303; AP 03/T.3511 & AP.03/T.3007 6 S.Gunasekhar, S/o V.Srinivasan, Buw Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.3865; AP.03/U.4280; AP.03/U.4927; AP.03/U.2417; AP.03/T.9961; AP 03/1232; AP.03/U.1228 AND AP.03/U.5358 7 C.J.Murali, S/o C.B.Jagadeeswaran, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.4515; AP .03/U.0515 and AP.03/U.3075 8 P.S.Vijayakumar, S/o N.Shanmugam Chetty, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.2561 9 K.Narasimhulu Naidu, S/o K.Subba Naidu, Buw Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.3637 and AP.03/U.4989 10 S.Dhanasekhar, S/o Sundaramurthy, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.3066 and AP.03/U.4155 11 B.S.Elangovan, S/o B.Sundaramurthy, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/W.6319 12 B.S.Kumar, S/o B.Sundaramurthy, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.4489 13 B.S.Pandiyan, S/o B.Sundaramurthy, Bus Owner, Chittoor AP.03/U.3834 14 B.S. Muthimanikay S/o B. Sundaramurthy, Bus owner Chittoor A.P. 03/F-1089 15 K. Sethuraman S/o L. Kumaraswamy Chittoor, AP 03/U.6057 and AP 03/U.3057 16 P. Sampath Kumar S/o Ponnurangam Chittoor AP 03/U. 2552 17 S. Vijayakumar S/o A. Subrahmanyam Chittoor AP 21/V.5999 18 N. Damodaram, S/o Natesh Mudaliar, Chittoor AP.03/U.4631 and AP. 03/U.5599 19 R.V. S. Bose, S/o R. Venkatesam Chetty Palamaner, Chittoor District AP.03/U.4777 and AP 03/U.4757 20 R.V. Balaji S/o R.Venkatesam Chetty Chittoor District AP o3/U. 1564; AP 03/U.2896 AP.03/U.4696 and AP.03/U.4676 21 M. Diwakar S/o M.M. Rathnam Palamaner, Chittoor District AP.03/U.2263 22 M. Prabhakar, S/o M.M. Rathnam Palammaner, Chittoor District AP 03/U.1242 23 M. Balu S/o K. Mohan Mudaliar Chittoor, Chittoor District AP.03/U.4100 and AP. 03/U.2211 24 M. Thulasi S/o K. Mohan Mudaliar, Bus owner Chittoor Chittoor District AP 03/U.4000 25 P. Panneer Selvam S/o Panjakcharama, Bus owner Chittoor, Chittoor District AP 03/U.4333 26 N.P. Ramakrishna Naidu S/o P.Venkatakrishnama Naidu, Bus owner, Chittoor AP 03/U.5786 and AP 03/U.5788 27 K. Jayabalan Prop. Jayarani Transports, Bus owner Chittoor District AP 03/U.3988 and AP. 04T.9788 28 Smt. D. Radhika, W/o Dakshinamurthy, Bus owner Chittoor AP 03/U.4099 29 S.Y. Ahmed Sheriff Prop. MBD Bus Service Chittoor TN. 23/Q. 5969 30 S.Y. Anwar Sheriff Prop. MBD Bus Service, Chittoor TN. 23/Q.5767 31 Smt. K. Saraswathi W/o A.K. Raman, Bus owner, Chittoor TN. 20/B.2257; TN.21/B.2257 and AP 03/U.2617 32 P. Jayarama Naidu S/o Ayyaswamy Naidu, Bus owner, AP.03/U.3755 ..... PETITIONERS AND 1 The District Collector, Chittoor, Chittoor District 2 The District Panchayat Officer, Chittoor, Chittoor District 3 The District Collector, Cuddapah, Cuddapah District 4 The District Panchayat Officer, Cuddapah, Cuddapah District 5 The District Collector, Ananthapur, Ananthapur District 6 The District Panchayat Officer, Ananthapur, Ananthapur District 7 The District Collector, Kurnool, Kurnool District 8 The District Panchayat Officer, Kurnool, Kurnool District 9 The Gram Panchayat, Agarampalli, Chittoor District 10 The Gram Panchayat, Madhyapatlapalli, Chittoor District 11 The Gram Panchayat, Santhagate, Chittoor District 12 The Gram Panchayat, Irala, Chittoor District 13 The Gram Panchayat, Nampally, Chittoor District 14 The Gram Panchayat, Patoor, Chittoor District 15 The Gram Panchayat, Damalacheruvu, Chittoor District 16 The Gram Panchayat, Mogarala, Chittoor District 17 The Gram Panchayat, Kommireddigaripalli, Chittoor District 18 The Gram Panchayat, Kothapeta, Chittoor District 19 The Gram Panchayat, Mangalampeta, Chittoor District 20 The Gram Panchayat, Bangarupalem, Chittoor District 21 The Gram Panchayat, Palamaner, Chittoor District 22 The Gram Panchayat, Baireddypalli, Chittoor District 23 The Gram Panchayat, Kuppam, Chittoor District 24 The Gram Panchayat, Vayalpadu, Chittoor District 25 The Gram Panchayat, Kalikiri, Chittoor District 26 The Gram Panchayat, Kalluru, Chittoor District 27 The Gram Panchayat, Aragonda,Chittoor District 28 The Gram Panchayat, Thavanampalli, Chittoor District 29 The Gram Panchayat, V.Kota, Chittoor District 30 The Gram Panchayat, Kalakada, Chittoor District 31 The Gram Panchayat, Pakala, Chittoor District 32 The Gram Panchayat, Chandragiri, Chittoor District 33 The Gram Panchayat, Chodepalli, Chittoor District 34 The Gram Panchayat, Mulakalacheruvu, Chittoor District 35 The Gram Panchayat, Puttur, Chittoor District 36 The Gram Panchayat, Renigunta, Chittoor District 37 The Gram Panchayat, Srikalahasti, Chittoor District 38 The Gram Panchayat, Ramasamudram, Chittoor District 39 The Gram Panchayat, Rayachoty, Cuddapah District 40 The Gram Panchayat, Gooty, Ananthapur District 41 The Gram Panchayat, Dhone, Kurnool District .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court may be pleased to issue an appropriate Writ, Order or direction, preferably in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the respondents- Gram Panchayats in levying and collecting daily tax/fee ranging from Rs.10/- to Rs.25/- per day in respect of the Petitioners buses as mentioned in the above cause title, as illegal, arbitrary, without jurisdiction and contrary to provisions of M.V.Act, 1988 and A.P. Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 while directing the respondents to collect only Rs.5/- per day as usual. Counsel for the Petitioners: MR.V.NARASIMHA REDDY Counsel for the Respondent Nos.1 to 8: GP FOR PANCHAYAT RAJ & RURAL DEV. Counsel for the Respondent Nos.9 to 41: SRI DAMMALAPATHI SRINIVAS The Court made the following: ORAL ORDER:- (PER GB,J.) The matter in this Writ Petition is covered by the decision of this Court in W.P.No.9251 of 2003 and batch, dated 10.08.2003. 2. Following the said decision, the Writ Petition is accordingly, disposed of. No costs. 3. However, it is declared that the respondents are directed not to collect the entry tax from the Writ Petitioners. _____________________ G. BIKSHAPATHY, J ___________________ P.S. NARAYANA, J Date: 08.04.2005 ES To 1 The District Collector, Chittoor, Chittoor District 2 The District Panchayat Officer, Chittoor, Chittoor District 3 The District Collector, Cuddapah, Cuddapah District 4 The District Panchayat Officer, Cuddapah, Cuddapah District 5 The District Collector, Anantapur, Anantapur District 6 The District Panchayat Officer, Anantapur, Anantapur District 7 The District Collector, Kurnool, Kurnool District 8 The District Panchayat Officer, Kurnool, Kurnool District 9 The Gram Panchayat, Agarampalli, Chittoor District 10 The Gram Panchayat, Madhyapatlapalli, Chittoor District 11 The Gram Panchayat, Santhagate, Chittoor District 12 The Gram Panchayat, Irala, Chittoor District 13 The Gram Panchayat, Nampally, Chittoor District 14 The Gram Panchayat, Patoor, Chittoor District 15 The Gram Panchayat, Damalacheruvu, Chittoor District 16 The Gram Panchayat, Mogarala, Chittoor District 17 The Gram Panchayat, Kommireddigaripalli, Chittoor District 18 The Gram Panchayat, Kothapeta, Chittoor District 19 The Gram Panchayat, Mangalampeta, Chittoor District 20 The Gram Panchayat, Bangarupalem, Chittoor District 21 The Gram Panchayat, Palamaner, Chittoor District 22 The Gram Panchayat, Baireddypalli, Chittoor District 23 The Gram Panchayat, Kuppam, Chittoor District 24 The Gram Panchayat, Vayalpadu, Chittoor District 25 The Gram Panchayat, Kalikiri, Chittoor District 26 The Gram Panchayat, Kalluru, Chittoor District 27 The Gram Panchayat, Aragonda,Chittoor District 28 The Gram Panchayat, Thavanampalli, Chittoor District 29 The Gram Panchayat, V.Kota, Chittoor District 30 The Gram Panchayat, Kalakada, Chittoor District 31 The Gram Panchayat, Pakala, Chittoor District 32 The Gram Panchayat, Chandragiri, Chittoor District 33 The Gram Panchayat, Chodepalli, Chittoor District 34 The Gram Panchayat, Mulakalacheruvu, Chittoor District 35 The Gram Panchayat, Puttur, Chittoor District 36 The Gram Panchayat, Renigunta, Chittoor District 37 The Gram Panchayat, Srikalahasti, Chittoor District 38 The Gram Panchayat, Ramasamudram, Chittoor District 39 The Gram Panchayat, Rayachoty, Cuddapah District 40 The Gram Panchayat, Gooty, Anantapur District 41 The Gram Panchayat, Dhone, Kurnool District 42 2 CCs to the GP for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, High court of A.P., Hyderabad (OUT) 43 2 CD copies 44 1 CC to MR.NARASIMHA REDDY