THE HON'BLE Ms. JUSTICE G.ROHINI WRIT PETITION No. 21797 OF 2011 Dated: 03.08.2011 Between: Revalli Anjaneyulu ..... PETITIONER AND The Government of Andhra Pradesh, and 6 others .....RESPONDENTS The Court made the following : THE HON'BLE Ms. JUSTICE G.ROHINI WRIT PETITION No.21797 OF 2011 O R D E R : The petitioner, who claims to be a native of Durgi Village and Mandal, Guntur District, was issued a certificate dated 21.10.2008 by the Tahsildar, Durgi Mandal certifying that the petitioner belongs to Budaga Jangam of SC Category. On the basis of the said certificate, when the petitioner sought admission in the Engineering Course, the respondents 6 and 7 called for verification from the 2nd respondent. By memo dated 31.07.2011, the 2nd respondent informed that as per G.O.Ms.No.144, Social Welfare (CV.1) Department, dated 17.07.2008, Budaga Jangam is restricted to Telangana region only. In view of the said memo dated 31.07.2011, issued by the 2nd respondent, the petitioner’s candidature for admission under SC Category was not considered. Aggrieved by the said action of the respondents, the present writ petition is filed. Apart from a declaration that the action of the respondents, is arbitrary and illegal, the petitioner also seeks a consequential direction to the respondents to permit the petitioner to appear for EAMCET-2011 counselling under SC Category treating Budaga Jangam under SC Category as per the caste certificate dated 21.10.2008 issued by the Tahsildar, Durgi Mandal. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as the learned Government Pleader for Social Welfare appearing for the respondents 1 to 5. The material available on record shows that the A.P. (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes) Issue of Community, Nativity and Date of Birth Certificates Rules, 1997 issued in G.O.Ms.No.58, Social Welfare (J2) Department, dated 12.05.1997 have been amended vide G.O.Ms.No.144, Social Welfare (CV.1) Department, dated 17.07.2008 restricting the issuance of the caste certificate to Budaga Jangam to Telangana region only. In fact the said amendment is in terms of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Second Amendment) Act, 2002 (Act No.61 of 2002), dated 18.12.2002. Therefore, the community certificate dated 21.10.2008 issued by the Tahsildar, Durgi Mandal, Guntur District certifying that the petitioner belongs to Budaga Jangam of SC Category is apparently null and void. However, the learned counsel for the petitioner, while relying upon Section 5 of the A.P. (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes) Regulation of Issue of Community Certificate Act, 1993 (for short, ‘the Act’), vehemently contended that unless and until the said community certificate dated 21.10.2008 is cancelled following the procedure prescribed thereunder, it is not open to the respondents to reject the certificate produced by the petitioner. As expressed above, after the amendment to the Rules by G.O.Ms.No.144, dated 17.07.2008, Tahsildars in the Districts in Telangana Region alone are competent to issue the caste certificates to Budaga Jangam under SC Category. Hence, the certificate dated 21.10.2008 upon which the petitioner relied is without jurisdiction and void. Hence, there is no need to cancel the said certificate which was admittedly issued after the Statutory Rules were amended under G.O.Ms.No.144 dated 17.07.2008. For the aforesaid reasons, the Writ Petition is devoid of merit and the same is accordingly dismissed. No costs. ​ ____________ G. ROHINI, J Date: 03.08.2011 Ivd