THE HON’BLE MR JUSTICE L. NARASIMHA REDDY Writ Petition No.9052 of 2011 ORDER: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation issued notification dated 01.11.2010, inviting applications for the posts of Shramiks in various districts in the State. The petitioner submitted an application for being considered for appointment, in Nellore District. The notification is to the effect that the candidates who studied for four consecutive years before the qualifying examination, shall be treated as locals and 80% vacancies are earmarked for them. For the remaining 20%, locals or non-locals are eligible. The petitioners studied up to the qualifying examination in Prakasam and Kadapa districts, respectively. Therefore, they were treated as non-locals. The marks obtained by them were not such that they would compete with locals of the area, against the 20% of vacancies. In that view of the matter, they were not selected. The petitioners challenge the very imposition of the condition in the notification, reserving 80% in favour of local candidates. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that there is no provision in the A.P.S.R.T.C. Employees’ (Recruitment) Regulations, 1966 (for short ‘the Regulations’) that enables the reservation being provided in favour of local candidates. On behalf of the respondents, a counter-affidavit is filed. It is stated that taking into account, the purport of the Presidential Order issued under Article 371 of the Constitution of India, circulars dated 21.10.2010 and 15.12.2010, were issued incorporating the gist thereof. It is stated that being a State owned agency, the Corporation felt it necessary to fall in line. Heard Sri C.Krishna Reddy, learned counsel for the petitioners, and Sri K.Srinivasa Rao, learned standing counsel for the respondents. The petitioners feel aggrieved by the condition incorporated in the notification providing reservation of 80% in favour of local candidates. It is not in dispute that if one goes by the definition of local candidate, they do not answer that description, vis-à-vis Nellore District. It is no doubt true that the Regulations do not contain any provision for reservation of posts in favour of the local candidates. However, the Corporation issued circulars providing for such reservation. Apart from the power conferred upon a State and its agency under Article 16(4) of the Presidential Order, Article 371-D of the Constitution of India enables the State and its instrumentalities to provide reservation in favour of local candidates in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, it cannot be said that the respondents have committed any illegality. Even otherwise, the petitioners cannot assail the selections at this stage. In case they felt aggrieved by the notification, they ought to have challenged the same before making the application. They cannot take chance by submitting applications and then challenge the notification when they were not selected. The writ petition is accordingly dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs. _______________________ L.NARASIMHA REDDY, J Dt:11.08.2011 GJ