THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE NOUSHAD ALI WRIT PETITION No.9601 of 2011 BETWEEN: The Atavi Hakkula Committee, Rep. By its President Bhukya Mantru Naik …. PETITIONER And 1. The State of Andhra Pradesh, rep. By its Principal Secretaries, Tribal Welfare & Forests Departments, Secretariat, Hyderabad, and others. …. RESPONDENTS Counsel for petitioner: Sri Md. Saleem Counsel for respondents: G.P. for Forests The Court made the following order: ORDER: Heard Sri Md. Saleem, learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Government Pleader for respondents and with their consent the writ petition is disposed of at the stage of admission. The petitioner-committee is said to be consisting of persons belonging to Lambadi Scheduled Tribe community. The members of the committee claim to be the residents of Somlavagu Thanda,, Yerraveni Chenchu Colony, Palukuru Thanda and Yenmedi Thanda. The said places of habitation are said to be situated around the forest area. The members claim that they have been cultivating the land situated in Sy.No.62/53 of Palukuru Gram Panchayat and eking out their livelihood. In this writ petition even though the petitioner committee complains in action on the part of the respondents in not granting pattas to its members for the said land, during the course of hearing the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the committee has made representations dated 17.09.2010 and 20.10.2010 to the District Collector, Guntur seeking pattas in favour of its members. Similarly the members of the petitioner-committee have also filed similar applications individually seeking pattas. Their grievance in the present writ petition is that even though the said applications were made long back and considerable time has lapsed, the 3rd respondent-District Collector, Guntur has not considered the said applications. The learned counsel therefore submits that the 3rd respondent be directed to consider and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law within a time frame. The learned Government Pleader for Forests, however, submits that the members of the petitioner-committee are not automatically entitled for grant of pattas except as provided under the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. In the circumstances, I deem it appropriate to direct the 3rd respondent to consider the aforesaid representations of the petitioner and applications of the members of the petitioner-committee and pass appropriate orders in accordance with the relevant provisions of law, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of. No costs. ________________ NOUSHAD ALI, J. 20th June, 2011 Js