IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE TWENTIETH DAY OF AUGUST TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA WRIT PETITION NO : 17204 of 2009 Between: 1 Yalamaddi Tulasamma W/o. Late Sheshaiah R/o. Vengannapalem Village,Gundepudi Panchayat, Julurupadu Mandal, Khammam District. 2 Duddukuri Anantha Ramaiah S/o. Late Tataiah R/o. Vengannapalem Village,Gundepudi Panchayat, Julurupadu Mandal, Khammam District. ..... PETITIONER(S) AND 1 The Additional Agent to Government & Project Officer, I.T. D.A. Bhadrachalam Khammam District. 2 The Special Deputy Collector, Bhadrachalam Khammam District. 3 The Tahsildar, Julurupadu Village & Mandal, Khammam 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 writ or direction preferably writ of Mandamus declaring the inaction of the 1st respondent in passing appropriate orders either on the stay petition or on the appeal itself filed on 11-12- 2007 against the order dt. 31-5-1996 in LTR. Case NO. 299/94/JLP on the file of the 2nd respondent as illegal, arbitrary and violative of principles of natural justice and consequentially direct the respondent No.1 to consider and dispose of the stay petition or the appeal itself with in a reasonable time. Counsel for the Petitioner: MR.KOWTURU VINAYA KUMAR Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR SOCIAL WELFARE The Court made the following ORDER: THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA Writ Petition No.17204 of 2009 Order: The petitioners claim to be the absolute owners and possessors of land to an extent of Acs.4.00 and Acs.2.00 situated in Survey Nos.58/A and 56/A respectively of Gundepudi Village, Julurupadu Mandal, Khammam District, having succeeded to the same. It is the case of the petitioner that the second respondent, at the instance of the Mandal Revenue Officer, Julurpad, initiated proceedings under Section 3(1) of A.P. Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulations, 1959 and through his orders in L.T.R.Case No.299/94/JLP, dated 31.05.1996, ordered eviction of the petitioners. The petitioners state that the said order, dated 31.05.1996, was communicated to them on 03.12.2007 and thereafter, they claim to have filed an appeal before the Additional Agent to Government & Project Officer, ITDA, Bhadrachalam, Khammam District, the first respondent herein, on 11.12.2007, within the stipulated time, along with an application seeking stay. It is the grievance of the petitioners that their appeal has not been considered so far and no orders have been passed even on his application for stay. In the meanwhile, since there is threat of dispossession, the present writ petition is filed. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned Government Pleader for Social Welfare appearing for the respondents Since the statutory appeal is pending before the first respondent, it would be appropriate to protect the possession of the petitioners till the appeal is disposed of in accordance with law. Accordingly, without going into the merits of the case, the writ petition is disposed of, at the admission stage, with a direction to the first respondent-Additional Agent to Government to dispose of the appeal preferred by the petitioners, expeditiously. Till the disposal of the appeal by the first respondent, status quo obtaining as on today shall be maintained by both the parties. No costs. ___________________ N.V. RAMANA, J. Date:20.08.2009 VGB