THE HON'BLE SMT. JUSTICE T.MEENA KUMARI and THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE G.V. SEETHAPATHY WRIT APPEAL NO : 716 of 2009 Date: 9.10.2009 Between: Pakalapati Leela and others. ..... Appellant AND 1. The State Election Commission rep.by its Secretary, Secunderabad and others. … Respondents THE HON'BLE SMT. JUSTICE T.MEENA KUMARI and THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE G.V. SEETHAPATHY WRIT APPEAL NO : 716 of 2009 ORAL JUDGMENT: (per Hon’ble Smt. Justice T. Meena Kumari) This writ appeal is directed against the order of the learned single Judge, dated 4.12.2007 made in Writ Petition No. 26142 of 2006 whereby and whereunder the writ petition filed by the appellants/writ petitioners was dismissed. The facts in brief are that the appellants-writ petitioners herein were appointed as Anganwadi Workers in various villages of Krishna District on a monthly honorarium of Rs.1400/-. It appears, basing on a representation made by the Anganwadi Workers Association, the Government issued a G.O. Ms. No. 7, dated 7.3.1996 granting permission to the Anganwadi workers to function as members of local bodies and Panchayat Raj institutions and as per Clause (ii) of the said G.O., the Anganwadi workers were permitted to hold the posts of Sarpanch, M.P.T.C. etc. Thereafter, the appellants seemed to have contested in the elections and were elected as Presidents and members of the various Gram Panchayats. Subsequently, the Government issued G.O. Ms. No. 23, dated 4.8.2001 withdrawing the aforesaid benefit, pursuant to which, the respondents-authorities issued notices to the appellants calling upon them to choose either of the posts. Aggrieved, the appellants filed the impugned writ petition. When the writ petition was taken up for hearing, the learned Government Pleader for Women Development and Child Welfare appearing on behalf of the respondents has submitted before the learned single judge that although the Government issued G.O. Ms. No. 7 in the year 1996 stating that Anganwadi workers are entitled to hold any elected post like Sarpanch, MPTC Member etc., but after thorough examination of the matter, while keeping in view Section 18 of the A.P. Panchayat Raj Act, which prohibits the employees of State or Central Government, or local bodies or employees of the Institutions received aid or funds from the Government from contesting to the offices in the Panchayat Raj Institutions, has withdrawn the said G.O. He further stated that in a similar case in Writ Petition No. 5537 of 2007, challenging the amendment issued to said G.O. vide G.O. Ms. No. 23, dated 4.8.2007 and the consequent memos issued by the respondent-authorities, a learned single judge of this Court dismissed the said writ petition on 2.4.2007 by granting 15 days time to the petitioner therein to exercise her option either to continue as Anganwadi worker or as Sarpanch/Member of the Gram Panchayat. The learned single Judge while taking into account the aforesaid submission of the learned Government Pleader and taking into consideration the submission of the learned counsel for both the parties that the issued raised in the writ petition is squarely covered by the order dated 2.4.2007 of this court in Writ Petition No. 5537 of 2007, dismissed the writ petition. In view of the fact that both the parties have conceded before the learned single judge that the issue raised in the writ petition is squarely covered by the order dated 2.4.2007 made in writ petition No. 5537 of 2007 mentioned above, and in view of the fact that the learned single Judge dismissed the writ petition through the impugned order basing on the submission made by the learned counsel for both the parties, we do not find any reason to interfere with the impugned order. The writ appeal fails and it is accordingly dismissed. No costs. ___________________ T.MEENA KUMARI,J Date: 9th October, 2009 ___________________ G.V.SEETHAPATHY,J pnb