THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM WRIT PETITION NO. 14018 OF 2006 BETWEEN: K.Venkata Reddy and others …Petitioners vs. The District Collector, West Godavari District Eluru and another …Respondents THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM WRIT PETITION NO. 14018 OF 2006 ORAL ORDER The petitioners’ lands were acquired pursuant to a draft notification under Sec.4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act,1894( for short “the Act”). The petitioners were issued a notice to attend an enquiry under Sec.5-A of the Act. The petitioners submitted their objections to the proposal for acquisition of their lands. The petitioners’ singular grievance in this writ petition is that the decision taken by the respondents on the objections submitted by the petitioners in the enquiry under Sec.5-A of the Act has not been communicated to them. The petitioners are entitled to communication of the reasons recorded by the respondents to proceed with the acquisition of their lands subsequent to an enquiry under Sec.5-A of the Act. The respondents are obligated to communicate the reasons and the decision pursuant to the enquiry under Sec.5-A of the Act both under settled principles of administrative law; the established principles of fair and transparent Government; the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act,2005, as well as the petitioners’ right to information as an integral component of the right to speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. For the aforesaid reasons, the writ petition is allowed and the respondents are directed to communicate to the petitioners the decision along with reasons if any recorded on and pursuant to the enquiry under Sec.5-A of the Act after considering the objections of the petitioners, expeditiously and in any event within a period of seven (7) days from the date of receipt of a copy of this Order. No order as to costs. __________________ GODA RAGHURAM,J 11th JULY 2006 Note: Furnish CC by tomorrow (B/O) *TSNR