THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO.24963 OF 2009 18th November 2009 Between: Thota Ramanadham and fourteen others. …PETITIONERS AND The Government of India, rep.by its Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Freedom Fighters Division, Loknayak Bhavan, Khan Market, New Delhi and two others. …RESPONDENTS THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO.24963 OF 2009 ORDER: The petitioners submitted applications for sanction of Freedom Fighters’ Pension. It is stated that their applications were processed by the State Government, the second respondent herein, and that the case of the petitioners was recommended to the first respondent. The petitioners state that the applications were placed before the Screening Committee, and though it has cleared the case of the petitioners, the first respondent has returned the applications to the second respondent for further verification. The second respondent, in turn, is said to have instructed the District Collector to verify the case afresh. The petitioners submit that the District Collector, Karimnagar caused fresh verification and found the petitioners to be eligible. The grievance of the petitioners is that though the District Collector forwarded the file to the second respondent, the latter did not take steps. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned counsel for the respondents. The process of the sanction of Freedom Fighters’ Pension that started few decades ago is still on, with no possibility of its reaching finality in the near future. Scores of cases are pending. Matters of this nature ought not to be pending for such a long time. In many cases, the applicants are leaving this world on account of old age. No useful purpose would be served, if ultimately it is found that they were eligible for sanction of the pension. It may be true that the Government is flooded with applications, genuine as well as bogus. Though it would take quite some time for processing the application, it should be ensured that the genuine applicant is not denied honour and benefit. Hence, the Writ Petition is disposed of, directing the respondents to complete the processing of the applications submitted by the petitioners, within a period of three {3} months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. There shall be no order as to costs. _____________________ (L.NARASIMHA REDDY, J) 18th November 2009 RRB