VIJAYAWADA: The AP HC has struck down the selection process of fair price (ration) shop dealers, holding that awarding 50 marks for interviews on par with written examinations is arbitrary and illegal on Saturday.
The court found that the State government blatantly violated earlier judicial directions by continuing selections under invalid guidelines.
A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Dheeraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi held that authorities wilfully violated court directions by finalising dealer appointments despite orders not to proceed until fresh guidelines were issued. The bench noted that GO No. 4 of 2011, which provided 50 marks for interviews, had already been quashed, yet officials continued the same method. Declaring the entire selection process legally invalid, the court directed the government to restart the process in strict compliance with earlier High Court orders.
The verdict came while allowing an appeal filed by Kota Nagamani of Salur in Vizianagaram, who had challenged the interview-heavy selection process after securing full marks in the written test but failing the interview. Setting aside a single judge’s order, the bench ruled that participation in a flawed process does not bar a challenge when authorities act in defiance of court directions.