HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T.MEENAKUMARI WRIT PETITION No:22334 OF 2007 Dated: 1.7.2010 Between: 1. K. Rama Devi and another ..Petitioners And 1. The State of A.P., rep., by its Secretary, Women Welfare and Child Development Department, Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad and others. .. Respondents. This Court made the following HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T.MEENAKUMARI WRIT PETITION No:22334 OF 2007 ORDER: The writ petition is filed seeking to declare the action of the respondents in rejecting the applications of the petitioners, without passing any orders on the ground that they crossed 35 years, as arbitrary and violative of articles 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India and consequently, to direct the respondents to consider the candidature of the petitioners for appointment to the posts of Anganwadi workers. The case of the petitioners in brief is as follows: The 1st petitioner passed SSC and the 2nd petitioner passed Degree and earlier, they both worked as Instructors at child center for 9 years from 1997 to 2005 under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and were relieved after the closure of the said centers and now, the 1st respondent is opening Anganwadi centers in the place of child centres and the respondents invited applications for the post of Anganwadi workers from the qualified candidates belonging to the concerned villages viz., Yerukollu and Turkapalli of Duttalur Mandal, by way of notification in June, 2007. Pursuant to the said notification, the petitioners submitted their applications. The selections are scheduled to be held on 23.10.2007 at Kavali. As the petitioners did not receive call letters, they approached the 2nd respondent. But the 2nd respondent returned their applications with an endorsement ‘not EB’ and informed that they are not considering applications of the persons who crossed 35 years of age. It is the case of the petitioners that the Government has recently relaxed upper age limit by 3 years. The 1st petitioner belongs to BC community and the 2nd petitioner belongs to OC community and accordingly, the relaxation for the upper age limit is 38 for O.C. and further 3 years for BC. The petitioners worked for a period of 9 years under DPEP Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and subsequently, those centres were closed and the Anganwadi Centres are introduced. Therefore, it is not justifiable to reject the candidatures of the petitioners on the ground that they have crossed 35 years. When the Government relaxed upper age limit for civil service, the petitioners are also entitled for the said benefit. On 22.10.2007, while admitting the writ petition, this Court issued an interim direction to the respondents to allow the petitioners for the interview scheduled to be held on 23.10.2007 or on any subsequent date, for the posts of Anganwadi worker, along with others. Pursuant to the said direction, the petitioners were allowed to appear for interview. But, the results have not been released and therefore, the petitioners are not able to know about their selection. The learned Government Pleader for the respondents has submitted that the petitioners were allowed to participate in the interview in pursuance of the interim orders. But, however, results could not have been announced. In the facts and circumstances of the case and in view of the interim direction issued by this Court and in view of the submission made by the learned Government Pleader, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, I feel it appropriate to issue a direction to the respondents to announce results. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of directing the respondents to announce the results of the petitioners. However, it is made clear that in case the petitioners come under the zone of consideration, their cases may be considered in accordance with law. No order as to costs. ________________________ Justice T. Meena Kumari Date: 1st July, 2010 Nn. HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T.MEENAKUMARI WRIT PETITION No:22334 OF 2007 01.07.2010