THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE R.SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION No.8305 of 2011 ORDER: Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Mines and Geology appearing for the respondents. It is the case of the petitioner that it had submitted an application to the second respondent – Director of Mines and Geology, Hyderabad, through the third respondent – Assistant Director of Mines and Geology, Karimnagar, Karimnagar District, on 16.11.2006, for grant of quarry lease for Colour Granite in an extent of 20.000 Hectares of land covered by Survey No.178 of Edulagattepalli Village, Manakonduru Mandal, Karimnagar District, by paying requisite fees towards the application and making necessary deposits. Thereupon, the third respondent addressed letter bearing No.5992/Q1/2006 on the same day to the Tahsildar, Manakonduru Mandal, Karimnagar District, for issuance of no objection certificate after verifying the availability and classification of the land for grant of quarry lease. It is the further case of the petitioner that pursuant to the repeated letters addressed by the third respondent, report/no objection certificate was sent by the Tahsildar, Manakonduru Mandal, to the District Collector, Karimnagar, vide letter bearing No.B/968/2010, dated –Nil-.12.2010, by marking a copy to the third respondent. It is the grievance of the petitioner that the third respondent is not forwarding its application along with the report of the Tahsildar, to the second respondent, who is the competent authority to consider the same. For expeditious disposal of the applications for grant of quarry lease, the Government issued guidelines in G.O.Ms.No.181, dated 28.05.1998. As per the said guidelines, when an application is submitted to the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology for grant of quarry lease, it has to be referred to the Tahsildar concerned for issuance of his no objection certificate/report. Thereafter, the Tahsildar has to send his no objection certificate/report directly to the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology by marking a copy to the District Collector. Further, soon after receipt of such no objection certificate/report from the Tahsildar, the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology has to refer the application filed for grant of quarry lease, along with the no objection certificate/report sent by the Tahsildar, to the Director of Mines and Geology, who is the competent authority for grant of quarry lease. In that view of the matter, when on the application submitted by the petitioner for grant of quarry lease, report was sent by the Tahsildar in December, 2010 itself, there is no reason or justification on the part of the third respondent for not referring the said application along with the report of the Tahsildar to the second respondent. Having regard to the nature of relief sought in the present writ petition, without going into the merits of the claim of the petitioner, I deem it appropriate to direct the third respondent to refer the application of the petitioner along with the report sent by the Tahsildar, to the second respondent within a period of six (6) weeks from today. On such reference, the second respondent shall consider the application of the petitioner on its own merits and if it is in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1966 framed under the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. Subject to the above directions, the writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. _______________________ R.SUBHASH REDDY, J 29th MARCH, 2011. kvni