THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO : 24462 of 2001 ORDER: The petitioners proposed to lay a gas pipeline from Thatipaka, East Godavari District to Kondapally, Krishna District, to supply natural gas to a power plant. The pipeline was to pass through the lands of respondents 2 to 4 (for short ‘the respondents’) in various survey numbers of Eletipadu Village, Iagavaram Mandal, East Godavari District. Compensation for utilizing the land is to be paid under the provisions of the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962 (for short ‘the Act’). If the owner of the land is not satisfied with the amount of compensation, he has to file an application before the District Judge of the concerned District for enhancement, under Section 10(2) of the Act. The respondents were paid compensation through an award by the competent authority. Not being satisfied with that, they filed O.S.No.359 of 2001 in the Court of Junior Civil Judge, Tanuku, for the relief of payment of damages at enhanced rates. This writ petition is filed with a prayer to declare that the said Court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the respondents. Apart from providing for the mechanism for determination and enhancement of compensation, the Act prohibits the jurisdiction of civil Courts. Section 14 of the Act reads as under: (14) BAR OF JURISDICTION OF CIVIIL COURTS: Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, no Civil Courts shall have jurisdiction in respect of any matter which the Competent Authority is empowered by or under this Act to determine and no injunction shall be granted by any Court or other authority in respect of any action taken or proposed to be taken in pursuance of any power conferred by or under this Act. It appears that the respondents are not aware of this provision nor did the trial Court bestow its attention to this. Once the Act takes away the jurisdiction of a civil court, the suit filed by the respondents is not maintainable in law. The writ petition is accordingly allowed and it is held that the Court of Junior Civil Judge, Tanuku, has no jurisdiction to entertain O.S.No.359 of 2001 filed by the respondents. It is, however, left open to them to work out their remedies in accordance with law. There shall be no order as to costs. __________ 25.11.2008 JSU THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO : 24462 of 2001 Date: 25.11.2008 JSU