Facts of the Case

The petitioner, Singaireddy Venkata Lakshumma (widow of the original contractor), filed this writ petition against the State of Andhra Pradesh's Irrigation and Water Resources Department, seeking release of final bill amounts totalling several lakhs (Rs. 3,93,000, Rs. 3,33,645, Rs. 2,67,073, Rs. 3,37,327, Rs. 3,17,501 and Rs. 3,57,069) plus interest, EMD, FSD and GST, for works her late husband had completed under the 'Neeru-Chettu' programme (construction of check dams and desilting of feeder channels) in Kalasapadu Mandal, YSR Kadapa District, under six separate agreements. GST here is merely a component of the amounts admittedly billed for completed government works.

Issues Involved

  1. Whether the respondent Irrigation Department was liable to release the admitted final bill amounts for the completed works, which the department had not yet paid.

Petitioner's Arguments

  • Contended that despite the respondents' admission of entitlement, the amounts were not being paid, which was arbitrary and high-handed, requiring the Court's intervention; relied on an earlier judgment of the same High Court (05.10.2021, W.P. No. 10038 of 2021 and batch) holding such non-payment arbitrary.

Respondent's Arguments

  • The Government Pleader for Irrigation submitted that the respondent authorities were verifying the petitioner's claims and would be in a position to pay only after verification was completed.

Court Order / Findings

  • Noting its own consistent view in earlier cases that non-payment of admitted dues by government departments is arbitrary and requires prompt correction, disposed of the writ petition with a direction to the respondents to complete the verification process within three weeks.
  • Directed that, depending on the outcome of the verification, the amounts due be paid to the petitioner within six weeks thereafter.
  • The order does not specify further consequences if verification is not completed on time, beyond the general direction (the concluding portion of the order was not fully legible).

Important Clarification

This is a government-contract payment dispute; GST is only a component of the amount claimed, not a subject the Court adjudicated. The Court's substantive holding is about the department's obligation to complete pending verification and pay admitted dues within a set timeline, following its own established line of cases on delayed government payments.

Sections Involved

  • Article 226, Constitution of India — writ jurisdiction for mandamus
  • Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 — referenced only as a component of the billed contract amount

Decision – In Favour of

The petitioner (Singaireddy Venkata Lakshumma) — writ petition disposed of with a direction to complete verification within three weeks and pay the amounts due within six weeks thereafter; this is a payment-timeline order, not a decision on any GST question.

Case Details

High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati; Writ Petition No. 2473 of 2023; Coram: Hon'ble Sri Justice R. Raghunandan Rao; Date of Order: 25.04.2023.

Link to Download the Order

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