HON’BLE SHRI G.S.SINGHVI, THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND HON’BLE SHRI JUSTICE C.V. NAGARJUNA REDDY TAKEN UP WRIT PETITION No.25992 OF 2006 Between: Pinnakota and seven others …Petitioners AND The Mandal Revenue Officer, Bapatla, Guntur District and five others ...Respondents : O R D E R : Counsel for the respondents : Government Pleader for Revenue 26th February, 2007 Per G.S.SINGHVI, CJ Letter dated nil, sent by Smt. Pinnakota, wife of Ragavaiah and seven others with the complaint that they are cyclone victims and have not been given any benefit of the relief measures taken by the Government was treated as a petition in public interest. In response to the notice issued by the Court, Shri Shaik Sultan, Mandal Revenue Officer, Bapatla, Guntur District has filed detailed affidavit dated 17-1-2007. Paragraphs 2 to 6 of the affidavit of Shri Shaik Sultan read as under: “I submit that the allegations made in the petition are false and self-serving. It is respectfully submitted that the Cyclone storm “OGNI’ had hit the Bapatla Mandal Coastal areas on 29th October, 2006, followed by heavy rains. As per the norms prescribed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, all rescue and relief operations have been taken up by the Government Officials round the clock and the relief operations had been also completed. As per the norms prescribed by the Government, followed by assessment of damage, relief in the shape of kind and case was extended to the affected families, after obtaining sanction from the District administration, as follows: Area No. of houses inundated House damages Reported by the teams Distribution of Rice @ 20 Kgs per family Distribution of Kerosene, @5 Litres per family Relief extended Fully Partly Total 1 2 3a 3b 3c 4 5 6 Bapatla Urban 5752 110 440 550 1150-40 77315 Litres 3171800 Bapatla Rural 9951 255 504 759 1990-20 Total 15703 365 944 1309 3140-60 Kgs I submit that some persons to defame the District Administration in the matter of relief extended to the affected families caused dharnas in-front of the Mandal Revenue Office raising slogans against the Mandal Revenue Officer and staff and using Vulgar and filthy language and caused obstruction to carry on day today official duties and they have also indulged in rastha rokes and caused much inconvenience to the general public and therefore taking into consideration of the totality of the facts and circumstances, orders under section 144 Criminal Procedure Code were imposed to check the illegal activities of anti-social elements. I submit that the petitioners are residents of Karumoori Hanumantha Rao Nagar, Bapatla Town and Mandal. In the cyclone named as “OGNI” some of the houses in the said area were also affected and the total number of families affected by inundation of Water are 111 and to these 111 families, 20 Kgs. Of rice per family and 5 liters of kerosene were distributed immediately. The 8 writ petitioners herein also included the 111 families to whom the immediate relief was extended. The details of 111 families are enclosed to this counter affidavit and which may be read as part and parcel of this counter affidavit. The names of the petitioners in the 111 families figured at Serial Numbers 80, 78, 49, 83, 63, 79, 76, 7 it is petinent to state here that the officials from the Mandal Revenue Office have inspected each and every house to note down the details of the damage caused to them. So far as the writ petitioners houses are concerned, no damage was caused to the said houses and therefore immediate relief of distribution of rice and kerosene was made to them. Since no damage was caused to their houses, no amount was released in their favour. The officials visited the houses a minimum of 3 times to note down the damage caused and as already stated supra, no damages was caused to the petitioners houses. I submit that no damage is caused to the petitioners houses and a video was taken out over the houses of the writ petitioners and which clearly shows that no damage is caused to the petitioners houses. I am herewith filing the copy of the Video-CD showing the houses of the petitioners, where no damage is noticed, which may be treated as part and parcel of this counter affidavit. I respectfully submit that the respondents have taken maximum relief measures by helping the affected people who are affected by cyclone and every care is taken to assess the damage caused to the person and properties, of the people and immediate relief measures in the form of rice and kerosene were distributed and so far as the damage to the properties/houses are concerned, assessments were made and amounts were released to the persons whose houses were actually damaged in the cyclone and therefore absolutely there is no truth in the averments made in the writ petition”. We have gone through the affidavit of Shri Shaik Sultan and the documents annexed with it and are satisfied that the grievance made by the petitioners is untenable. With the above observations, the writ petition is disposed of. G.S. SINGHVI, C.J. C.V. NAGARJUNA REDDY, J. 26th February, 2007 ks