IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF DECEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO:15716 of 1999 Between: 1 Pulikota Janaiah, S/o.Poshaiah, R/o.Quarters No.453, Srirampur, Adilabad District. 2 Kummari Venkati, S/o.Durgaiah, Quarter No.K.D.450 , Ramakrishna pur, Adilabad District. ..... PETITIONERS AND 1 The Singareni Coleries Company Ltd., Rep. by its general Manager, Srirampur, Adilabad District. 2 The Singareni Colleries Company Ltd., Rep.by its General Manager, R.K.Pur, Adilabad District. .....RESPONDENTS Counsel for the Petitioners:MR.P.LAKSHMA REDDY Counsel for the Respondents:MR. E.V.SURESH KUMAR FOR MR.K.SRINIVASA MURTHY The Court made the following : ORDER: This writ petition is filed for a writ of mandamus to declare the action of the respondents in unilaterally deducting an amount of Rs.1,500/- per month as penal rent from the petitioners as arbitrary, and they sought for a consequential direction to the respondents to regularize the allotment of quarters in their respective occupation. At the hearing, the learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the issue raised in this writ petition is covered by order, dated 15.11.2001 passed in Writ Petition No.7434 of 1997 and batch. I have perused the said order, wherein the following direction was given. “For the aforesaid reasons, this batch of writ petitions are (sic – is) disposed of directing the respondent company herein not to deduct any penal rent from the salaries of the petitioners and other employees until a decision is taken by the Committee of the Officers constituted for the purpose of making an enquiry in terms of the aforementioned directions. However, it shall be open to the company to deduct the penal rent from the salaries of such of those petitioners and employees who are not entitled for the protection of the settlement dated 31st July, 1997 and who continued to be in unauthorized occupation of the residential staff quarters with retrospective effect. Likewise, such of those petitioners and other employees who are found to be entitled for the protection of the settlement, are entitled for the return of penal rents so collected from them, and the company shall have to repay the same to the eligible petitioners and other employees. It shall be open to the respondent company to take such further steps as it may wish to do so to secure the eviction of the staff quarters from the possession of such unauthorised occupants who are not entitled for the protection of the settlement.” It is submitted by the learned counsel representing respondent No.1 that so far no decision is taken by the Committee of the Officers. As the petitioners are situated similarly to those covered by the above-mentioned batch of writ petitions, this writ petition is disposed of in terms of the order passed in the said batch of writ petitions with the direction that the reasons and directions contained therein shall form part of this order. C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY, J 18th DECEMBER, 2008. kvni