IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO:14010 OF 2010 DATED:6.7.2010 Between: K.V.Prasad & others. .....PETITIONERs AND 1 The Joint Collector, Chittoor & others. .....RESPONDENTs This Court made the following : THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO:14010 OF 2010 ORDER: Admittedly, the petitioners have filed appeals under section 4-A of the A.P. Assigned Land (Prohibition of Transfers) Act, 1977 before the Revenue Divisional Officer-Appellate authority, Chittoor. These appeals were accompanied by applications seeking suspension of the orders passed by the Tahsildar, Vijayapuram Mandal, Chittoor District cancelling the assignment pattas of the petitioners. The grievance of the petitioners presently is that no orders have been passed on the said applications. The material on record discloses that the suspension applications were filed before the appellate authority in June, 2010. The plea of the petitioners that this Court, by exercising jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution, should provide interim protection pending disposal of the appeal before the statutory authority cannot be countenanced. As pointed out by the Supreme Court in ASSISTANT COLLECTOR OF CENTRAL EXCISE, CHANDANNAGAR VS. DUNLOP INDIA LIMITED ([1]), Article 226 is not intended to be used to circumvent statutory remedies. It is not for this Court to provide interim protection to the party pending the appeal on the file of the statutory authority. It is for the petitioners to agitate their stay/suspension applications before such authority and seek interim orders pending disposal of the main appeals. Needless to state, such authorities are required to be prompt in discharge of their quasi judicial duties under the statute so that parties are given timely protection. Delay on the part of statutory authorities in disposing of stay applications not only engenders futility of adjudication in some cases but also causes general distrust in the system. Such situations need to be avoided. In the present case, the appellate authority passed orders on the interlocutory applications with regard to the stay of auction of the mango crop. No orders appear to have been passed upon the suspension petitions, whereby the petitioners sought interim suspension of the order of cancellation of their pattas passed by the Tahsildar, Vijayapuram Mandal, Chittoor District pending disposal of the appeal. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of directing the appellate authority-Revenue Divisional Officer, Chittoor Division, Chittoor District, 2nd respondent herein, to consider the suspension petitions filed by the petitioners in their appeals after giving due opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned and pass reasoned orders thereon within a period of two (2) Weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. There shall be no order as to costs. _________________ Justice Sanjay Kumar Date:6.7.2010. gurc THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO:14010 OF 2010 6th JULY, 2010 [1] (AIR 1985, SC 330)