B. SUDERSHAN REDDY, J. ( 1 ) HAVING regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the District collector and District Magistrate, East godavari District shall stand impleaded as respondent No. 5 in the writ petition on whose behalf the learned Government pleader takes notice. ( 2 ) THE petitioner in the instant writ petition prays for issuance of a Writ of mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in not finalizing the selection for distributorship of LPG for HP gas at khasimkota in Visakhapatnam District as unjust and arbitrary. The petitioner also prays for a consequential direction directing the respondents to forthwith grant the necessary distributorship in favour of the petitioner. ( 3 ) THE petitioner herein claims that she hails from konda Reddi Tribal community which is recognised as a scheduled Tribe. It is stated that the petitioner prosecuted her education and obtained MBA degree from Andhra university, all through being treated as belonging to ST category. The Hindustan petroleum Corporation has taken up an advertisement on 25-6-1998 in all the leading newspapers inviting applications for LP Gas distributorship for HP gas. Out of the three locations that were identified, we are concerned for the present with the proposed distributorship at Khasimkota rural area in Visakhapatnam District. It is reserved for ST category. The petitioner is an applicant along with others. She appeared for the interview on 25-2-1999 along with two other candidates. The petitioner made available her caste certificate vouching her social status as ST candidate. ( 4 ) IT is stated that in the third week of march, 1999, the Senior Regional Manager of the Corporation called the petitioner and made enquiries about her social status and family particulars. Similar enquiries were not made against the other two candidates who were also interviewed along with the petitioner on 25-2-1999. ( 5 ) IN the circumstances, the petitioner is of the opinion that she is selected by the dealer Selection Board for distributorship of khasimkota. ( 6 ) THE petitioner having waited for the verdict of the Dealer Selection Board filed a detailed representation before the chairman on 1-11-2000 bringing to the notice of the Dealer Selection Board that the interview was held on 25-2-1999 and inspite of one and half years time having elapsed, the issue has not been finalised for nq valid or tenable reasons. ( 7 ) IT is stated in the affidavit filed in support of the writ petition that number of enquiries were held into the claim of the petitioner as a ST candidate. The certificate issued in her favour is conclusive in its nature, since the same has not been set aside by any competent authority so far. ( 8 ) THE fact remains that the petitioner made available the proof of her social status as belonging to ST community at the time of interview. ( 9 ) LEARNED Standing Counsel sri P. V. Sanjaykumar brings to my notice that the Dealer Selection Board received some complaint from SC/st Association alleging that the petitioner does not belong to ST community. The complaint so made has been placed before the Chairman of the selection Board. The Chairman in his discretion and with a view to verify about the genuineness of the certificate obtained by the petitioner referred the matter to the district Collector, East Godavari District for verification. It is submitted by the learned standing Counsel that in the circumstances, no final decision could be taken in the matter, as the Chairman of the Dealer selection Board is yet to receive the report from the District Collector. ( 10 ) IN my considered opinion, there is absolutely no justification whatsoever to postpone the process of selection pursuant to the interviews that were held as early as on 25-2-1999. It is not known as to why the district Collector, East Godavari District" could not make the requisite verification as desired by the Chairman of the Dealer selection Board and communicate his decision/opinion to the Chairman of the selection Board. ( 11 ) HAVING regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the District collector and District Magistrate, East godavari District is directed to communicate his decision/opinion to the fourth respondent-Chairman, Dealer selection Board, Visakhapatnam as expeditiously as possible preferably within three weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The respondents, upon receipt of such opinion from the District collector shall take an appropriate decision immediately preferably within one week from the date of receipt of the verification report/opinion of the District Collector. ( 12 ) THE writ petition is accordingly disposed of. No order as to costs.