Telangana High Court
Nagarkurnool District Rice Millers … vs The State Of Telangana on 9 July, 2026
Author: Surepalli Nanda
Bench: Surepalli Nanda
IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA
AT HYDERABAD
HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE SUREPALLI NANDA
WRIT PETITION No.21844 OF 2026
DATE: 09.07.2026
Between :
Nagarkurnool District Rice Millers
Association, Vasavi Residency,
Plot No.302, Laxmi Nagar
Nagarkurnook Mandal & District,
rep. by its President Anantha
Prathap Reddy.
... Petitioner
A ND
The State of Telangana,
Rep. by its Ex-Officio Secretary to
Government, Consumer Affairs, Food
and Civil Supplies Department,
Civil supplies Bhavan, Erramanzil,
Somajiguda, Hyderabad, Telangana
and 3 others
... Respondents
ORDER
Heard Sri K. Rathanga Pani Reddy, learned
counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner,
learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil
Supplies, appearing on behalf of respondent Nos.1
2
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W.P. No.21844 of 2026
3, and 4 and Sri K. Devender, learned Standing
Counsel for Civil Supplies Corporation, appearing on
behalf of respondent No.2.
2. The petitioner approached the Court seeking
prayer as under:
“…to issue an appropriate writ, order or direction more
particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring
the action of the 4th respondent in demanding the members
of the petitioner association rice millers to pay Rs.2236.81
per quintal by issuing individual demand notices of auctioned
paddy of Rabi 2022-23 though the said paddy was sold in
the public auction at Rs.1814 per quintal on 23.02.2024
which was not lifted by the auction purchasers for the want
of quality, now after lapse of three years paddy being the
perishable commodity as totally become unfit for human
consumption apart from other facts and circumstances which
clearly establishes on face of the record that the aforesaid
auction paddy will not cost/worth Rs.1400 per quintal,
whereas demanding aforesaid unreasonable amount is
without application of mind in arbitrary manner in violation
of Article 14, 19 (1) (g) and 21 of the Constitution of India
and consequently direct the respondents to fix the
reasonable price at Rs.1200/- per quintal by considering the
detailed representation dt. 29.06.2026 submitted withdocumentary evidence by the petitioner and pass…”.
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W.P. No.21844 of 2026
3. The case of the petitioner, in brief, as per the
averments made in the affidavit filed by the
petitioner in support of the present Writ Petition is
as under:-
The case of the petitioner is that the respondent
authorities is demanding Rs.2,236.81 per quintal from the
members of the petitioner association towards auctioned
paddy pertaining to Rabi 2022-23, despite the fact that
the same paddy had earlier been auctioned at Rs.1,814
per quintal on 23.02.2024 and was not lifted by the
successful bidder. The paddy has remained in storage for
nearly three years, being a perishable commodity, and
has substantially deteriorated in quality, rendering it unfit
for human consumption.
It is the specific case of the petitioner that the
respondent authorities failed to take timely delivery of the
paddy despite repeated requests from the rice millers,
resulting in deterioration due to prolonged storage, heavy
rains, reduction in moisture content, insect damage and
4SN,J
W.P. No.21844 of 2026natural wear and tear. The respondents have fixed the
impugned price without any scientific assessment, expert
opinion or consultation with the stakeholders, while
ignoring the expenditure incurred by the rice millers
towards storage, unloading, transportation and
preservation of the paddy. The fixation of the price at
Rs.2,236.81 per quintal amounts to unjust enrichment by
the State, particularly when even good-quality paddy
supplied for ethanol production was sold at a much lower
effective price.
The petitioner, therefore, seeks issuance of a writ of
Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in
demanding Rs.2,236.81 per quintal as illegal, arbitrary
and unconstitutional, and consequently prays for a
direction to the respondents to fix a reasonable value of
Rs.1,200 per quintal after considering the detailed
representation dated 29.06.2026.
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W.P. No.21844 of 2026DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:
4. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the
petitioner submits that the issue in the present writ
petition is squarely covered by the order of this Court
dated 25.06.2026 passed in W.P.No.19181 of 2026 and
hence, the petitioner is entitled for grant of the same
relief as extended to the petitioner in W.P.No.19181 of
2026.
5. Learned Assistant Government Pleader for
Civil Supplies appearing on behalf of the respondent
Nos.1, 3 and 4 and and Sri K. Devender, learned
Standing Counsel for Civil Supplies Corporation,
appearing on behalf of respondent No.2 do not
dispute the said submission made by the learned
counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner.
6. Taking into consideration :
(a) The aforesaid facts and circumstances of
the case,
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W.P. No.21844 of 2026
(b) The submissions made by the learned
counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner,
learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil
Supplies, appearing on behalf of respondent Nos.1,
3 and 4 and Sri K. Devender, learned Standing
Counsel for Civil Supplies Corporation, appearing on
behalf of respondent No.2.
(c) The discussion and conclusion as arrived
at paragraph Nos.4 and 5 of the present order,
The writ petition is disposed of directing the
respondents 2 to 4 herein to consider the detailed
representation dated 29.06.2026 furnished by the
petitioner to the respondent No.3 herein in
response to the notice dated 08.05.2026 seeking to
recover the cost of balance unlifted paddy and
shortage paddy of Rabi 2022-23 at Rs.2,236.81 per
quintal within 90 days from the rice milers, issued
by the respondent No.4 to the petitioner
Association, within a period of three (3) weeks
from the date of receipt of copy of the order, in
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W.P. No.21844 of 2026
accordance to law in conformity with principles of
natural justice by providing an opportunity of
personal hearing to all concerned and take a
decision on the subject issue and duly communicate
the decision to the petitioner. There shall be no
order as to costs.
Miscellaneous petitions, if any, pending in this Writ
Petition, shall stand closed.
___________________________
MRS. JUSTICE SUREPALLI NANDA
Date: 09.07.2026
Note :Furnish CC in two days
ssm
