1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO. 2217 OF 2010 Dattatraya s/o Ramrao Jadhav, Age : 65 yars, Occu.Agril., R/o Jawala (Dhumala), Tq. & Dist. Osmanabad ..PETITIONER VERSUS 1. The State of Maharashtra Through the Collector Osmanabad 2. The Land Acquisition Officer (P.T. & M.I.W.) No.1, Osmanabad ..RESPONDENTS Mr M.P. Tripathi, Advocate for the petitioner; Mr S.K. Tambe, A.G.P. for respondents. CORAM : P.V. HARDAS AND S.V. GANGAPURWALA, JJ DATE : 18th March, 2010 ORAL JUDGMENT [ PER P.V.HARDAS , J ] At the outset, learned Counsel for the petitioner seeks leave to join the Land Acquisition Officer as a respondent to the petition. We accordingly allow the request and permit the petitioner to join the Land Acquisition Officer as a respondent to the petition. Amendment to be carried out forthwith. Learned A.G.P. accepts notice on behalf of the newly added respondent. 2 2. Rule. Rule returnable forthwith. With the consent of learned Counsel for the parties this petition is heard finally at the stage of admission. 3. The limited grievance of the petitioner in this petition is that his application under section 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act, though filed on 22.2.2008 has not been decided by the respondents. In the light of that fact, we consider it appropriate to decide the petition finally at this stage. 4. Since the application of the petitioner is pending, we allow this petition and direct the respondents to decide the application under section 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act filed by the petitioner, in accordance with law, if pending, within four months from today and communicate the decision thereon to the petitioner. 5. Rule is thus made absolute on the above terms with no order as to costs. ( S.V. GANGAPURWALA ) ( P.V.HARDAS ) JUDGE JUDGE amj/wp2217.10 3