IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) FRIDAY, THE ELEVENTH DAY OF JULY TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM WRIT PETITION NO : 2735 of 2008 Between: Sri Venkateswara Large Sized Cooperative Society Ltd., rep. by its President A.Rachanti Ramachandra Rao S/o. Bapanaiah, Aged about 47 years. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The District Collector, West Godavari District, at Eluru. 2 The REvenue Divisional Officer, West Godavari District, at Eluru. .....RESPONDENT(S) Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to to issue an appropriate writ, order or direction more in the nature of WRit of Mandamus, declaring the action of the 1st respondent in issuing the impugned proceedings dated 3.1.2008 in D.Dis.No.553/2007 (B) as illegal, arbitrary, biased, unconstitutional and against the principles of natural justice and set-aside the same, and pass such other order or orders as are deemed fit and proper. Counsel for the Petitioner:SMT.D.LALITHA PRASAD Counsel for the Respondent No.: GP FOR CIVIL SUPPLIES The Court made the following : THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM WRIT PETITION NO : 2735 of 2008 ORAL ORDER: Heard Ms. Sunitha, learned advocate representing Ms. D. Lalitha Prasad, the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Civil Supplies. The petitioner is a Co-operative Society which impeaches the order of the 1st respondent dated 03-01-2008 whereby the 1st respondent had directed bifurcation of the existing Fair Price Shop No. 14 in Rallakunta panchayat into two i.e., one for Kommara village and the other for Rallakunta village in view of the elaborate and well considered reasons set out in the order impugned. Prior to the impugned order, Fair Price Shop No. 14 was serving three villages viz., Rallakunta, Sattenagudem and Kommara. Several representations were made including by the Sarpanch of Kommara Gram Panchayat an independent Fair Price Shop for Kommara village so as to serve the cardholders of the village more efficiently. Similar representations were made by the villagers of Sattenagudem and Rallakunta villages. Though several representations sought creation of three fair price shops instead of the existing Fair Price Shop No. 14, on a rational consideration of the viability factor, the first respondent ordered bifurcation of Fair Price Shop into two, one i.e., at Rallakunta village and the other for Kommara. The petitioner assails the order of bifurcation on the ground that it being the current authorizee of unified Shop No.14 is rendering efficient service to the cardholders of three villages since over a decade. Another ground advanced is that a large number of employees were engaged for running the Fair Price Shop and huge amounts are to be paid by way of terminal benefits. None of these grounds are germane to consider the validity of the impugned order. The scheme of Fair Price Shops under the Public Distribution System is conceived with the primary purpose of making available essential commodities efficiently and timely to the consumers who are economically dependent on such subsidized supply of essential commodities. The need and efficient distribution of supplies to the targeted consumers is the exclusive and primary concern of the Public Distribution System. Any economic benefit derived by the authorizee is incidental to the fundamental purpose of the Scheme. Public Distribution Scheme is not conceived for the purpose of generating employment/livelihood for authorizees. On this view and the aforesaid analysis of the matter, there are no merits. The writ petition is accordingly dismissed. No costs. ____________________ GODA RAGHURAM, J Dated: 11-07-2008 Pvks/*