THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE L. NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.21851 of 2009 ORDER: Land to an extent of Acs.4.60 cents in survey No.1210/1 situated at Tadikalapudi Village, Kamavarapukota Mandal, West Godavari District, was assigned in favour of a landless poor. The said land was offered as a security by way of mortgage in favour of Tadikalapudi Cooperative Rural Bank Limited. Since the loanee did not pay the amount, the property was put to auction on 15.05.1989. The auction purchaser, in turn, sold the land and the land changed hands before it was purchased by the petitioner. The petitioner intends to sell the land and for that purpose he approached the first respondent with a request to furnish the particulars of encumbrance as well as stamp duty. It is stated that the first respondent is refusing to furnish the particulars treating the land as assigned one. The petitioner contends that once the land was sold in public auction by a cooperative bank, it ceases to have the character of assigned land. Reliance is placed upon judgment of this Court in W.A.No.950 of 2007 dated 30.12.2008. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Revenue. It is no doubt true that the land referred to above was assigned one and transfer thereof is prohibited under Section 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act, 1977 (‘the Act’ for short). However, the provisions of the Act do not apply to the lands that are transferred in favour of nationalized or statutory banks. It has already been mentioned that the land in question was mortgaged in favour of a rural bank, which in turn, sold it in a public auction and that the property lost the character of assigned land. In judgment dated 30.12.2008 in W.A.No.950 of 2007, this Court took the view that the provisions of the Act do not apply once assigned land is mortgaged in favour of a nationalized bank and thereafter sold in a public auction. Following judgment dated 30.12.2008 in W.A.No.950 of 2007, this Writ Petition is allowed directing that the first respondent shall not treat the land in question as assigned land and shall process the document presented by the petitioner in accordance with law. There shall be no order as to costs. ________________________ L. NARASIMHA REDDY, J 11th February, 2010 GHN