THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY W.P.No.6366 of 2009 Date : 26-4-2011 Between : M/s. Raja Rajeshwari Minerals Pvt.Ltd. Represented by its Director-Authorised Signatory Sri P.Sridhar Reddy, Malakpet, Hyderabad .. Petitioner And Union of India, Represented by its Secretary, Ministry of Steel & Mines, New Delhi and others .. Respondents Counsel for petitioner : Sri K.Rajanna Counsel for respondents : The Court made the following : ORDER: At the Interlocutory stage, the Writ Petition is taken up for hearing with the consent of the learned counsel for the parties. This Writ Petition is filed for a mandamus to declare the inaction of respondent No.4 in not processing and conducting survey and inspection on prospecting licence application dated 12-9-2007 over an extent of Acs.827.62 in Sy.No.1 of Obulapouram village. D.Hirehal Mandal, Rayadurg Taluq, Anantapur District, Ballari Reserve Forest, as illegal and contrary to the provisions of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation Act, 1957 and Mineral Concession Rules 1960. No counter affidavit is filed on behalf of the respondents. At the hearing Sri K.Rajanna, learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that even though the petitioner has made an application for prospecting licence as far back as 12-9-2007, respondent No.4 has not processed and forwarded the same to respondent No.2 for grant. The learned counsel placed reliance on Rule 63-A(b) of Mineral Concession Rules 1960 which prescribes nine months as the time limit for disposal of the application for prospecting licence. In the absence of any counter affidavit filed by the respondents, this court has no option other than holding that non-disposal of the application by the respondents is arbitrary. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is allowed with the direction to respondent No.4 to place the petitioner’s prospecting licence application said to have been made on 12-9-2007 before respondent No.2 within one month from the date of receipt of this order and within three months thereafter respondent No.2 shall dispose of the same in accordance with law. As a sequel, WPMP Nos.8317, 8318 and 8336 of 2009 are disposed of as infructuous. __________________________ C.V. NAGARJUNA REDDY.,J Date : 26-4-2011 AM