THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA WRIT PETITION No.3334 of 2003 ORDER: Petitioner states that respondents 4 to 7 herein have converted their agricultural lands in R.S.Nos.296/5, 296/7, 335/1, 336/3, 336/4, 335/3A, 336/2, 335/2A, 335/2B, 335/2C, 335/3B and 335/5 situated at Kollaparru Village, Akividu Mandal, West Godavari District, adjacent to her land, into fish tanks and are cultivating prawns, without obtaining the required permission from the competent authorities, due to which there is seepage of water into her agricultural land, damaging the crops raised thereon. She, therefore, submitted representation dated 28.01.2003 to the respondent authorities, bringing to their notice the above facts and requested to take necessary action, but it is her grievance that till date the respondent authorities have not taken any action in the matter. Since no counter-affidavit is filed in the matter, in spite of admitting the writ petition way back on 25.02.2003, this Court ordered appearance of the 2nd respondent- Revenue Divisional Officer, Narsapur, before this Court. Thereupon, respondents 1 to 3 filed their counter-affidavit today, which, however, does not deal with the main allegation of the petitioner that respondents 4 to 7 have not obtained permission from the authorities for conversion of agricultural lands into fish tanks, for cultivating prawns. The counter-affidavit only indicates that the petitioner sold out her land, which is situated adjacent to the lands in question of the unofficial respondents, to some third parties in the year 2006 i.e. subsequent to filing of the present writ petition and that the purchasers are cultivating paddy in the said land, that the Tahsildar, Akiveedu Mandal, who conducted personal inspection of the lands, submitted a report on 15.09.2010 to the effect that the purchasers of the land of the petitioner have given their statements stating that there is no seepage of water from the fish tanks of the unofficial respondents into the land purchased by them and no damage is being caused to their crops, and that the enquiry also revealed that the unofficial respondents have closed the salt water bore well and thus there is no seepage of water into the land sold out by the petitioner. Thus, the counter-affidavit of the respondent authorities, which is filed after seven long years of filing the writ petition, is silent on the main issue that requires to be considered in the present writ petition i.e. whether the unofficial respondents have obtained permission for converting their agricultural lands into fish tanks for cultivating prawns, and this shows the negligence of the authorities who filed the counter- affidavit, in furnishing required information to this Court. They did not even choose to file the alleged report submitted by the Tahsildar, after conducting inspection of the lands, and the statements said to have been given by the purchasers of the petitioner’s land. It is also unfortunate to note that the District Collector, West Godavari, who is the first respondent herein, is not even bothered to examine the issue. However, the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Revenue, states that the unofficial respondents have not obtained any permission for conversion of agricultural lands into fish tanks. If that is so, the respondent authorities shall have to take necessary action against the unofficial respondents for such conversion of agricultural lands into fish tanks, without obtaining the required permission, and they are accordingly directed to initiate necessary action in that regard. Further, as inordinate delay has occurred in filing the counter- affidavit by the respondent authorities and the same lacks required information, the Principal Secretary to the Government of A.P., Revenue Department, is directed to enquire into the matter and take appropriate action against the persons responsible for those lapses. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of. No order as to costs. __________________ JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA 23rd September, 2010 IBL