THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA Writ Petition No. 1615 of 2008 Date: 11.02.2008 Between: China Venkannapalem Gram Panchayat, Chinavenkannapalem, Kondepi Mandal, Prakasam district, rep. by its Sarpanch Potu Srinivasa Rao and others. ..... PETITIONERS AND The District Collector, Ongole, Prakasam District and another. .....RESPONDENTS THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA Writ Petition No. 1615 of 2008 Order: This writ petition is filed seeking a Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in constituting the Village Monitoring Committees of the petitioners Gram Panchayats under Indiramma Scheme for the year 2007-2008, without considering the list of members sponsored by the petitioners Gram Panchayats, as illegal, arbitrary and contrary to G.O. Ms. No. 350, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RWS-III) Department, dated 31.08.2006, and consequently direct the respondents to constitute the Village Committees for the petitioners Gram Panchayats in accordance with the said G.O. According to the petitioners, as per G.O. Ms. No. 350, dated 31.08.2006, the District Collector shall constitute a Village Monitoring Committee for each Gram Panchayat to monitor the development work under Indiramma Scheme. The said G.O. also stipulates that the said Committee shall be constituted with six members being headed by the Sarpanch as Chairman and he shall sponsor the names of the members of the Committee through the Panchayat Secretary to the M.P.D.O., who in turn shall forward the same to the District Collector to constitute the Committee with the approval of the in-charge Minister of the Committee. The grievance of the petitioners-Gram Panchayats is that since the respondents have unilaterally constituted the Village Monitoring Committees, ignoring the list of members sponsored by them, they have issued a legal notice dated 10.01.2008 requesting the respondents to re- constitute the Village Monitoring Committees in accordance with the list of members sponsored by them, but they did not respond to the said notice so far. Hence, they filed the present writ petition. This Court, on 01.02.2008, ordered notice before admission and the learned Government Pleader took time to get instructions. Today, when the matter is taken up for admission, the learned Government Pleader has produced before the Court the copy of instructions issued by the 2nd respondent-Mandal Parishad Development Officer, Mandal Parishad, Kondapi, Prakasam District, wherein he has clearly admitted that without consulting the petitioners-Gram Panchayats, the Village Level Monitoring Committees were recommended to the higher authorities, which is against G.O. Ms. No. 350, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RWS-III) Department, dated 31.08.2006, and therefore, he was directed to send the fresh names of the persons to be appointed as Village Level Monitoring Committees after consulting the concerned Gram Panchayats. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, and in view of the admissions made by the 2nd respondent-Mandal Parishad Development Officer that without consulting the petitioners-Gram Panchayats, the Village Level Monitoring Committees were recommended to the higher authorities, which is against to G.O. Ms. No. 350, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RWS-III) Department, dated 31.08.2006, I deem it appropriate to dispose of the writ petition with the following directions. The impugned Village Monitoring Committees constituted for the petitioners-Gram Panchayats are set aside, and the Panchayat Secretary concerned is directed to forward the list of members of Monitoring Committees to the 2nd respondent-Mandal Parishad Development Officer, after consulting the Sarpanches of the petitioners- Gram Panchayats in accordance with G.O. Ms. No. 350, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RWS-III) Department, dated 31.08.2006, and thereafter, the 1st respondent-District Collector shall constitute such committees, after taking into consideration the list sent by the 2nd respondent-Mandal Parishad Development Officer in consultation with the Gram Panchayats concerned. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of. No costs. ___________________ N.V. RAMANA, J. Date: 11.02.2008 Nsr