THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO.16730 OF 2009 ORDER: The petitioner is a House Building Society. It has acquired Acs.18.78 cents of land in Survey No.133 of Chinnagadali Village, Visakhapatnam Rural Mandal, and with a view to construct houses to its members thereof, it made an application, dated 11.12.2006, to the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority, the first respondent herein, with a request to approve the lay out. The first respondent returned the application of the petitioner stating that it shall be resubmitted along with “No Objection Certificate” to be issued by the District Collector. The petitioner feels aggrieved by the same. Respondents filed a counter affidavit stating that, initially, the application was not complete and only after this Court passed an interim order, that a full-fledged application was filed on 21.08.2009. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned Standing Counsel for the first respondent and the learned Standing Counsel for the second respondent. One of the objections raised by the first respondent is that the petitioner shall submit “No Objection Certificate” to be obtained from the District Collector. Such an insistance is contrary to law. The question as to whether it is competent for the first respondent to insist on production of “No Objection Certificate” from Revenue authority is no longer res integra. I n Hyderabad Potteries Private Limited v. Collector, Hyderabad[1], this Court dealt with that very question and held that a local authority cannot insist on production of “No Objection Certificate” from the Revenue authority. Whatever may have been the status of the application of the petitioner by the time the Writ Petition is filed, the fact remains that the complete application together with the plan was filed on 21.08.2009. At least from then onwards, the application should have been processed and by this time, it should have been completed. Having regard to the nature of the land and the obligation of the parties, the petitioner is put to serious loss on account of the delay. Hence, the Writ Petition is disposed of directing the first respondent to pass orders on the application of the petitioner within a period of six {6} weeks from today without insisting on “No Objection Certificate”. It is made clear that if the first respondent needs any information, it shall be open to enquire the petitioner to furnish the same without standing on technicalities. There shall be no order as to costs. _____________________ (L.NARASIMHA REDDY, J) 29th April 2010 Note: CC by three days B/O RRB [1] 2001 (3) ALD 600