IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY, THE TWENTIETH DAY OF OCTOBER TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO : 22823 of 2008 Between: Pallala Srinivasa Reddy, S/o. subba Reddy, R/o. Kogita Gondi (V), Y.Ramavaram Mandal, East Godavri District ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Deputy Director of Mines and Geology, East Godavari District at Kakinada. 2 The Asistant Director of Mines and Geology, Gandhipuram-3, Rajahmundry,E.G.District. 3 The Tahsildar, Addateegala, East Godavari district. .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Aﬃdavit ﬁled herein the High Court will be pleased to issue appropriate writ or order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents 1 & 2 in not granting quarry lease in respect of the land to an extant of hec.6.00 in Sy.No.207/1 of Gonthuvanipalem village, Addateegala Mandal, East Godavri District in pursuance of the application made by the petitioner dated 23.4.2008 for grant of quarry lease to quarry road metal as wholly illegal, arbitrary and discriminatory and consequently direct the respondents 1 & 2 to grant quarry lease in favour of the petitioner. Counsel for the Petitioner:MR.K.VENKATESH Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR MINES AND GEOLOGY The Court made the following : ORDER: The petitioner claims to have submitted an application on 23.04.2008 to respondents 1 and 2, with a request to grant mining lease over an extent of 6.00 Hectars in survey No.207/1 of Gonthuvanipalem Village, Addateegala Mandal, East Godavari District, to quarry road metal. It is stated that the Tahsildar, Addateegala, the third respondent, has also given no objection for grant of lease. The grievance of the petitioner is that no action has been taken thereon so far by respondents 1 and 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Government Pleader for Mines and Geology. The Andhra Pradesh Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1966 prescribe the procedure to be followed, while processing the applications for grant of mining leases. The Rules do not stipulate any particular time for disposal of the same. However, the applications cannot be kept pending indeﬁnitely, particularly when the veriﬁcation of the matter at various levels has been concluded. Hence, the Writ Petition is disposed of, directing respondents 1 and 2 to take necessary steps for disposal of the application within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. There shall be no order as to costs. ____________________ Dt.20.10.2008 L.NARASIMHA REDDY, J GJ