THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE R.SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION No.25988 of 2010 ORDER: Having heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Social Welfare appearing for the respondents, this writ petition is taken up for disposal at the stage of admission. In this writ petition, petitioner has questioned the order in Ref.No.C5/102/M/05, dated 22.07.2010, passed by the second respondent - Collector, YSR District, by which, the caste certificate, mentioning his caste as Scheduled Caste (Harijan), issued by the fourth respondent - Tahsildar, Kadapa, YSR District, vide order, dated 20.01.1994, is cancelled. Petitioner was working as Sub-Post Master in postal service of Indian Post and Telegraph Department. It is stated that as against the impugned order of cancellation of his caste certificate, there is a right of appeal to the Government under Section 7 of the Andhra Pradesh (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes) Regulation of Issue of Community Certificates Act, 1993, and the petitioner has preferred such appeal along with an application for interim orders, before the first respondent – Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Hyderabad, on 20.09.2010. It is the grievance of the petitioner that in spite of there is an application for interim orders, no orders have been passed therein and on the other hand, respondents 5 and 6 are initiating departmental action and criminal proceedings against him as per the directions issued by the second respondent in the impugned order. It is pleaded that the petitioner belongs to Scheduled Caste (Harijan) and the impugned order was passed without inquiring the matter in proper perspective. In view of pendency of appeal before the first respondent, it is not desirable to record any finding on the merits of the claim of the petitioner that he belongs to Scheduled Caste (Harijan) but not Vysya, as ordered in the impugned order. At the same time, when the application is filed for grant of interim orders, there is no reason for withholding such application for a long time without passing any order. As much as the petitioner has already preferred appeal and it is pending consideration before the first respondent, I deem it appropriate that the directions issued in the impugned order to respondents 5 and 6 for initiating disciplinary action and criminal proceedings against the petitioner, respectively, are to be stayed pending disposal of the appeal by the appellate authority. For the aforesaid reasons, the writ petition is disposed of with the direction to respondents 5 and 6 not to initiate departmental action and criminal proceedings against the petitioner, respectively, till the appeal filed by him is disposed of and decided on merits. However, I am sure, the appellate authority will decide such appeal as expeditiously as possible, preferably, within a period of four (4) months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. No order as to costs. ______________________ R.SUBHASH REDDY, J 27th OCTOBER, 2010. kvni