IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY, THE FOURTH DAY OF AUGUST TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE GHULAM MOHAMMED and THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE C.V.RAMULU WRIT PETITION NO : 15180 of 2008 Between: E.V. Ramana Murthy S/o E. Balarama Murthy Visakhapatnam, (Presently working as Assistant Director, Tekkali, Srikakulam District.) ..... PETITIONER AND The Commissioner and Director of Agriculture Basheerbagh, Hyderabad, A.P. .....RESPONDENT 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 issue a writ or order more in the nature of writ of Certiorari calling for the Records relating and pertaining to the orders passed in OA 58/04 dt. 9- 7-2008 of the Honourable A.P. Administrative Tribunal Wherein the O.A. 58/04 was dismissed with Rs. 5000/- towards costs and quash the same by holding it as illegal, arbitrary and pass such other orders or order. Counsel for the Petitioner:MR.K.R.SRINIVAS Counsel for the Respondent: GP FOR SERVICES I The Court made the following : ORDER: (per GM,J) This Writ Petition is ﬁled for a Certiorari calling for the records relating to the order, dated 09.07.2008, passed in O.A.No.58 of 2004 by the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad, and to quash the same as illegal and arbitrary. The petitioner is working as an Agriculture Oﬃcer in Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Visakhapatnam. While so, on 15.06.2002, a charge memo was issued to him framing two charges. On 09.07.2002, he submitted his explanation. Thereafter, to set aside the disciplinary proceedings initiated against him after a lapse of 16 years, the petitioner ﬁled O.A.No.58 of 2004, on the ground of delay and laches. Through the impugned order, dated 09.07.2008, the Tribunal dismissed the said O.A., with costs of Rs.5,000/-. Hence, this Writ Petition. Learned counsel for the petitioner contended that the allegations against the petitioner were that of the years 1987 to 1991 and 1997 to 1999, whereas the charge memo was issued in the year 2002 and hence, there was delay in initiating the disciplinary proceedings against him and till now, there is no progress in the enquiry and no Enquiry Oﬃcer was appointed. Learned Government Pleader for Services-I, on instructions, submitted that now the matter was entrusted to the Commissioner and the enquiry is in progress. In view of the submission of the learned Government Pleader that the matter was entrusted to the Commissioner, it is directed that the competent authority shall complete the enquiry initiated against the petitioner and pass appropriate orders thereon, within a period of six months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The Writ Petition is accordingly disposed of, upholding the order of the Tribunal, dated 09.07.2008, and setting aside the imposition of costs of Rs.5,000/-, on the petitioner. There shall be no order as to costs. ______________________ GHULAM MOHAMMED,J. Dated:04.08.2008 ______________ C.V.RAMULU,J. GJ