When any county, municipality, or political subdivision of the state has held an election for the issuance of bonds and notice has been duly served on the district attorney or the Attorney General under authority of such county, municipality, or other political subdivision, for the purpose of securing a judicial validation of such bonds, but the district attorney or Attorney General has failed to proceed within the time specified by Code Section 36-82-21, it shall be competent for the county, municipality, or other political subdivision to represent such facts in writing to the court, and to represent further that the failure has been without fault on the part of the county, municipality, or other political subdivision. In such case it shall be the duty of the court and it shall have the power and authority to inquire into the facts and, upon being satisfied that the failure has not arisen from any fault or neglect on the part of the county, municipality, or other political subdivision, to issue an order authorizing and directing the district attorney or the Attorney General to proceed within ten days to file the petition authorized by Code Section 36-82-21. Thereafter, the proceedings shall be heard in the same manner as would have been followed had the petition been duly and promptly filed in the first instance.