(1) IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, AURANGABAD BENCH, AT AURANGABAD. WRIT PETITION NO. 6527 OF 2010 Ayub s/o. Gulam Meheboob Khatib, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Agriculture, R/o. Hirapur, Taluka : Georai, District : Beed. .. Petitioner. versus 1. The State of Maharashtra, Through Secretary, Revenue Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai. 2. The Collector, Beed. 3. The Sub-Divisional Officer, Beed. 4. The Deputy Collector (Atiyat), Beed. .. Respondents. ....................... Mr. P.V. Mandlik, Senior Advocate, holding for Mr. H.V. Tungar, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr. N.B. Khandare, Government Pleader, for respondent nos.1 to 4. ........................ (2) CORAM : MOHIT S. SHAH, CJ. & S.V. GANGAPURWALA, J. DATE : 26TH AUGUST 2010 COURT'S ORDER (Per Chief Justice) : 1. Leave to add Deputy Collector (Atiyat), Beed, as party - respondent no.4. 2. The grievance in this petition is about inaction on the part of the respondent no.3, in not deciding the application dated 17th July 1990, filed by the petitioner. Copy of the application is produced at Exhibit "A" to the petition. 3. It appears that the jurisdiction to decide the application is vested in the respondent no.4 - Deputy Collector (Atiyat), Beed. 4. The learned Government Pleader appearing for respondent nos.1 to 4 states that, in the event, the application dated 17th July 1990 made by the petitioner is not yet decided, the respondent no.4 - Deputy Collector (Atiyat), Beed, shall decide the same as expeditiously as possible. 5. In view of the above, we dispose of the petition, by (3) directing the respondent no.4 - Deputy Collector (Atiyat), Beed, to decide the petitioner's application dated 17th July 1990 (Exhibit "A"), if it is not already decided, as expeditiously as possible and in any case, within a period of four months from the date of receipt of this order. It is made clear that this Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the application and all contentions are kept open. (S.V. GANGAPURWALA ) (MOHIT S. SHAH) JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE ......................... Puranik (PS) bgp/wp6527