THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.6506 of 2009 ORDER: The petitioner was granted lease for a period of one year over cashew nut tope of Acs.70.00 of land in Survey Nos.195, 196 and 197 of Gurupadu Village, Nakkapally Mandal, Visakhapatnam District belongs to the Government for a sum of Rs.1,38,868/-. The lease expires by 30.03.2009. The petitioner states that the tope was under lease in favour of Fishermen Cooperative Society up to the previous year and by the time the petitioner was inducted into possession, the produce in its preliminary form was taken away by the miscreants. The petitioner submitted a representation with a prayer to extend the lease, so as to enable him to reap the benefit of the crop. His grievance is that no action has been taken thereon. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Revenue. From the narration of the facts in the affidavit filed in support of the writ petition, it is clear that the lease was initially granted in favour of the Fishermen Cooperative Society for a period of three years commencing from 2001 to 2003 for Rs.3,44,300/- and thereafter, renewed for a further period of three years. The lease in favour of the petitioner is for one year. Though the petitioner insists that the lease in his favour ought to have been for a period of three years, this Court is not inclined to grant any relief in that regard. The petitioner had put his labour and incurred expenditure to get the crop from the tope. It is stated that the crop would be ripe for harvest within four weeks. No serious prejudice would be caused to the respondents in case the petitioner is permitted to remain in possession for a period of four weeks. Though the manner in which the land should be dealt with is not the subject matter of the writ petition, this Court is of the view that such a vast extent of land with valuable tree growth cannot be leased or otherwise dealt with, on the basis of individual applications. In case the respondents are not able to maintain it departmentally, the leases can be granted only by inviting tenders or by conducting auction. Transparency can be ensured only through such method. Hence, the writ petition is disposed of directing that (a) the petitioner shall be entitled to remain in possession of the tope leased to him till 30.04.2009 and that on 01.05.2009 he shall handover the possession; (b) the grant of leasehold rights in respect of the tope shall be, invariably by conducting public auction or by inviting tenders. There shall be no order as to costs. ________________________ L.NARASIMHA REDDY,J Dt:30.03.2009 Note: Issue cc tomorrow. (B/o) kdl