IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY, THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF NOVEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION No. 22492 of 2008 Between: K. Buchamma W/o. China Koti Reddy R/o. Venkatadripalem Village, Miryalaguda Mandal, Nalgonda Dist. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Govt. of A.P. Rep. by its Prl. Secretary Irrigation & Command Area Development Dept., Secretariat Bldgs., Saifabad, Hyderabad. 2 The Land Acquisition Officer & Spl. Dy. Collector, SLBC. Nalgonda Town & Dist. .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to to issue a writ or order or direction especially writ of mandamus, directing the respondents to pay the determined compensation amount together with interest to the petitioner in respect of her acquired land as per the Judgment & Decree dated 2-6-2001 in O.P.No.48/2000 on the file of Sr. Civil Judge, Miryalaguda as confirmed in A.S.No.2480/2001 dated 23-10-2006 on the file of High Court of A.P. by declaring the action of the respondents in not paying the determined compensation to the petitioner as arbitrary, illegal, violative of Art.14, 21 and 300-A of the Constitution of India. Counsel for the Petitioner:MR.L.PRABHAKAR REDDY Counsel for the Respondent No.: GP FOR IRRIGATION & COMM AREA DEV. THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION No. 22492 of 2008 ORDER: The inordinate delay in payment of compensation for the lands acquired has resulted in the petitioner, a senior citizen aged 80 years, invoking this Court’s jurisdiction. A notification, under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, was issued on 14-02-1980 for acquisition of lands in Venkatadripalem Village of Miryalaguda Mandal in Nalgonda District, for the purpose of Command Area Development. An award was passed on 01-12-1998 fixing the market value of the lands under acquisition at Rs.25,000/- per acre. On a reference, the Civil Court enhanced the market value of the lands under acquisition from Rs.25,000/- to Rs.1,00,000/- in O.P.No.48 of 2000 dated 02-06- 2001. Aggrieved thereby the respondents, in this writ petition, preferred A.S.No.2480 of 2001 and this Court, by order dated 23-10- 2006, reduced the market value to Rs.70,000/- per acre. It is not in dispute that the order of this Court in A.S.No.2480 of 2001 has attained finality. The petitioner, along with several others, filed E.P.No.25 of 2008 on 28-02-2008 and, since the matter has been needlessly delayed, one of them has invoked this Court’s jurisdiction requesting for payment of compensation at the earliest. On notice being issued, the learned Government Pleader for Land Acquisition obtained instructions. She would submit that the Special Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition), Nalgonda, had submitted proposals to the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, Hyderabad, on 02-05-2008 requesting him, in turn, to recommend his proposals for release of the decretal amount of Rs.14.27 lakhs to the Government. A reminder is also said to have been sent on 10-09- 2008. The deafening silence on the part of the first respondent is, indeed, a matter of concern. While lands are easily acquired, and the farmers are, thereby, deprived of their only source of livelihood, they are made to run from pillar to post for payment of compensation which they are legally entitled to. This sorry state of affairs cannot be permitted to continue and the agony, which the farmer suffers from, has to be addressed without any further delay. I consider it appropriate, therefore, to direct the first respondent herein to examine the proposals sent and, if found to be in order, forthwith release the decretal amount, to the credit of E.P.No.25 of 2008, within a period of four months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The Writ Petition stands disposed of. No order as to costs. RAMESH RANGANATHAN,J Dt:24-11-2008 Usd To 1 The Prl. Secretary, Govt. of A.P. Irrigation & Command Area Development Dept., Secretariat Bldgs., Saifabad, Hyderabad. 2 The Land Acquisition Officer & Spl. Dy. Collector, SLBC. Nalgonda Town & Dist. 3 Two CCs to GP for Land Acquisition, High Court Buildings, Hyderabad (OUT). 4 Two CD copies