IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE TENTH DAY OF MARCH TWO THOUSAND AND ELEVEN PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE V.ESWARAIAH WRIT PETITION No.4635 of 2005 Between: Bylapudi Demudu and 17 others ..... PETITIONERS AND The Mandal Revenue Officer, Ananthagiri Mandal, Visakhapatnam District and another .....RESPONDENTS The Court made the following: THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE V.ESWARAIAH WRIT PETITION No.4635 of 2005 O R D E R: Heard Mr.C.Upendra, learned counsel for the petitioners. None appears for the respondents and no counter is filed on their behalf. It is the case of the petitioners that they are the agriculturists and are cultivating their respective lands in Pedagangavaram village, Zeenabadu panchayat, Ananthagiri Mandal, Visakhapatnam District. They have requested the Mandal Revenue Officer to issue pattedar passbooks and title deeds stating that they were issued settlement pattas by the Settlement Officer in 1978. But the pattedar passbooks and title deeds were not issued so far on the ground that the lands were situated in the agency area. It is the case of the petitioners that the settlement pattas were granted much prior to the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Area Land Transfer Rules, 1970 came into force. It is stated that as the settlement pattas were already granted by the settlement officer, there cannot be any objection or prohibition for grant of record of rights under ROR Act within the scheduled area. It is stated that in fact, the Mandal Revenue Officer vide proceedings in Rc.301/2002A dated 28.01.2003 submitted the copies of the Settlement Fair Adangals and 10(1) adangals to the Collector, Visakhapatnam seeking necessary instructions for grant of pattedar passbooks and title deeds. In fact, the Collector, Visakhapatnam vide Dis.522/2002-F5 dated 11.02.2003 informed the Mandal Revenue Officer, Anantagiri stating that the non-tribal villagers of Pedagangaram village who were issued pattas by the settlement officer under the provisions of A.P.S.A.Ryotwari Settlement Regulation, 2/70 are entitled to hold the lands only to the extents allowed by the Settlement Officer. Therefore, the Mandal Revenue Officer can grant the pattedar passbooks only to those pattedars who can prove their title with reference to the settlement pattas. Though the District Collector clarified and directed to consider the case of the petitioners to grant title deeds and pattedar passbooks under the ROR Act, after conducting enquiry, it is stated that no action was taken so far despite issuing a legal notice dated 21.01.2005. As no counter is forthcoming and none appears for the respondents, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, I am inclined to dispose of the writ petition, directing the 1st respondent to consider the representation of the petitioners relating to grant of pattedar passbooks and title deeds under ROR Act and pass appropriate orders pursuant to the clarification issued by the District Collector, Visakhapatnam vide his proceedings in D.Dis.No.522/2002-F5 dated 11.02.2003, in accordance with law. The Writ Petition is accordingly disposed of. No order as to costs. ________________ V.ESWARAIAH,J Dated: 10.03.2011 Dsr