1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.5266 OF 2010 1. Shankar s/o Ambadas Jadhav, Age 43 years, Occu.Agri., 2. Sharad s/o Ambadas Jadhav, Age 40 years, Occu.Agril., Both r/o Karajgao, Tq.Lohara (Omerga), District Osmanabad .. PETITIONERS VERSUS 1. The State of Maharashtra, Through the Secretary, Irrigation Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai 32 2. The Collector, Osmanabad, Collector Office, Osmanabad 3. The Special Land Acquisition Officer, Percolation Tank & Minor Irrigation No.. Osmanabad, Dist.Osmanabad 4. The Additional Collector, Rehabilitation Earth Quake, Osmanabad District Osmanabad ..RESPONDENTS Mr.V.V.Ingale, Advocate for petitioners Mr.S.K.Kadam, Assistant Govt.Pleader for respondents CORAM : P.V. HARDAS AND N.D. DESHPANDE, JJ DATE : 18 th June 2010 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER P.V.HARDAS, J.) 1. Rule. Rule returnable forthwith. With the consent of learned Counsel for the parties, this petition is heard finally at the stage of admission. 2 2. The limited relief which the petitioners have sought for in this petition, filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, is to direct the respondents to decide the claim made by the petitioners for payment of rental compensation. Undisputedly, the land of the petitioners came to be acquired by the respondents for a public purpose. The petitioners claim that they are entitled to in law to be paid the rental compensation. Accordingly, the petitioners have submitted their claim for payment of rental compensation which is said to be pending. In that light of the matter, therefore, we are inclined to allow this petition. We, therefore, allow this petition and direct the respondents to decide the claim of the petitioners, if pending, for payment of rental compensation, in accordance with law, within four months from today and communicate the decision thereon to the petitioners. We further direct that in the event the petitioners are found entitled to be paid rental compensation, the same be paid to the petitioners as expeditiously as possible. 3. Rule made absolute on the above terms with no orders as to costs. ( N.D.DESHPANDE ) ( P.V.HARDAS ) JUDGE JUDGE (vvr/5266.10wp) 3