THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.554 of 2007 ORDER: The petitioners are former Members of Vedurukuppam Mandal Parishad, Chittoor District. During the year 2002, they are said to have been entrusted certain works under the Food for Work Programme. They state that the works have been executed with the participation of labour and though speciﬁc orders were passed for releasing the rice component of the work, nothing was paid to them. It is stated that on a representation made by them, correspondence ensued between the oﬃcials of Revenue and Panchayat Raj Departments and nothing has materialized so far. The Mandal Parishad Development Oﬃcer, the third respondent herein, ﬁled a counter-aﬃdavit taking objection as to the very maintainability of the writ petition. He contends that though certain correspondence ensued, the petitioners do not have the locus standi to claim the rice or other beneﬁts for the works. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners, the learned Government Pleader for Panchayat Raj and the learned Standing Counsel for the Mandal Parishad. The petitioners claim to have been entrusted with the work under the Food for Work Programme. Reference is made to the proceedings through which the coupons were issued for releasing of rice for 32 works. In his letter, dated 28.08.2003, the Mandal Revenue Oﬃcer requested information as to the nature of works said to have been entrusted to the petitioners. The third respondent, in turn, addressed a letter, dated 20.09.2003, to the Chief Executive Oﬃcer of the Zilla Parishad, Chittoor, the fourth respondent herein, stating inter alia that the M-Books for the works maintained by the Assistant Engineer are submitted. He has also mentioned that the labour who were engaged for the 32 works are going around his oﬃce for the past one year and that the coupons have already been issued. When such is the background of the case, the respondents cannot just sit over the matter by raising technical objections. In case the petitioners have not been entrusted with the work or they have not executed the work or if there is any doubt as to the identity of the workers engaged by them, necessary information has to be sought. If the records disclose that the work was executed, the respondents cannot avoid their obligation to pay the agreed quantity of rice or any sum. Hence, the writ petition is disposed of, directing respondents 3 and 4 to take ﬁnal decision on the claims made by the petitioners, within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order and communicate the same to the petitioners. There shall be no order as to costs. __________________ L.NARASIMHA REDDY,J Dt:04.11.2008. kdl