1 acd IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE CIVIL JURISDICTION PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO. 251 OF 2009 Koli Yuva Shakti Sanstha & Ors. ...Petitioners. Vs. The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ...Respondents ..... Mr. Uday P. Warunjikar, Sr. Advocate for the Petitioners. Mr. V.P. Malvankar, AGP for Respondent Nos.1 to 3. ..... CORAM : J.N. PATEL, Acting C.J. & S.C. DHARMADHIKARI, J. DATE : 17th JUNE, 2010. P.C. 1] By this Petition, the Petitioners are seeking writ of mandamus directing the Respondents to take necessary action for imposing a ban on illegal and unauthorised extraction of the sand. 2] The Petitioners have invited our attention to the directions of the Collector dated 15.11.2006 by which the Regional Officer of the Maritime Board and the Maritime Board has been directed to prohibit all such activities. The Maritime Board was informed that the Collector has not authorised any extraction of sand in the areas which are covered by the communication/order dated 15.11.2006. Prior thereto, also the Collector 2 has been informing the Authority repeatedly to prevent the said illegal and unauthorised act. 3] Now the Petitioners rely upon the information made available under the Right To Information Act by the Office of the Collector, District- Thane, wherein it has been stated that the Collector at District level and at the Taluka level Tahasildar have all been issued necessary guidelines by the State Government and illegal and unauthorised extraction of sand is checked and curbed. If anybody indulges in such acts then the Maharashtra Maritime Board as also all other concerned Officers must take necessary steps, is also the Direction of the State. 4] The grievance of the Petitioners is that despite such directions, steps to prevent illegal and unauthorised extraction of sand have not been taken. 5] After hearing hearing Shri Warunjikar, appearing for the Petitioners and Shri Malvankar, appearing for the Respondents, we are of the view that the Writ Petition can be disposed of with directions to the Respondents to take necessary action on the complaint made by the Petitioners and the communication of the Collector referred to above, within a period of two weeks from the receipt of this Order. The Authority should treat this Petition as a representation/complaint of the Petitioners 3 and take necessary steps so that the illegal and unauthorised extraction of sand in the subject areas is not carried out. 6] The Petition is disposed of with above directions. No costs. (ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE) (S. C. DHARMADHIKARI, J.)