vss IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.298 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.298 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.298 OF 2008 Anant Hari Yerunkar ... Petitioner V/s. The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ... Respondents a/w WRIT PETITION NO.300 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.300 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.300 OF 2008 Madhukar Kisan Dalvi ... Petitioner V/s. The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ... Respondents a/w WRIT PETITION NO.305 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.305 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.305 OF 2008 Damu S. Yadav ... Petitioner V/s. The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ... Respondents and WRIT PETITION NO.307 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.307 OF 2008 WRIT PETITION NO.307 OF 2008 Mahadu Hari Chalke through his L.Rs Subhas M. Chalke & Ors. ... Petitioners V/s. The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ... Respondents Mr.V.R. Kalse for Petitioners Mr.P.I. Khemani, AGP, for Respondent Nos.1, 2 and 3 CORAM: J.N. PATEL & J.N. PATEL & J.N. PATEL & SMT.NISHITA SMT.NISHITA SMT.NISHITA MHATRE, JJ. MHATRE, JJ. MHATRE, JJ. DATED: JANUARY 24, 2008 JANUARY 24, 2008 JANUARY 24, 2008 P.C.: P.C.: P.C.: . Heard. We propose to dispose of all these : 2 : petitions by a common order as the petitioners have come to this Court with a grievance that their contention u/s 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 has not been dealt with and disposed of by Collector/Special Land Acquisition Officer and it is kept pending for no reasons or justification and, therefore, they seek a writ of mandamus directing Respondent No.2 to decide the petitioners’ applications u/s 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act within reasonable time. This Court in several petitions of such nature have repeatedly passed orders directing the State through the Collector/Special Land Acquisition Officer to dispose of the applications u/s 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act filed by the persons whose land have been acquired. But inspite of such orders being passed by this Court, not only at its principal seat at Mumbai but also at its Benches at Nagpur and Aurangabad, the authorities have been found to be negligent in dealing with such applications. In one of the matters even the Chief Secretary of the State was made aware of such delay on the part of the officials of the State who are vested with the powers to deal with such applications. But this Court finds that there has been no improvement insofar as the performance of the concerned officials is concerned. Persons are required to approach the High Court by invoking its extraordinary jurisdiction. : 3 : 2. We, therefore, dispose of these petitions by directing Respondent No.2 to deal with the applications filed by the petitioners u/s 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 and dispose of the same as expeditiously as possible and preferably within three months from the date of passing of this order in accordance with law. The Respondent State would pay Rs.5,000/- as costs in each case to the petitioners. Costs to be deposited in this Court within two weeks. On such costs being deposited, the petitioners would be entitled to withdraw the same. The Respondent-State of Maharashtra is at liberty to recover the costs from the concerned officials who have been found negligent in dealing with such applications. 3. Writ Petitions disposed of accordingly. (J.N. PATEL, J.) (SMT.NISHITA MHATRE, J.)