THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY Writ Petition No.21811 of 2011 Dated 28th December, 2011 Between: Boddu Narasaiah and others …Petitioners And The Special Collector, L.A.SRSP, SSP & JCR GLIP, Huda Complex, Tarnaka, Hyderabad and another …Respondents Counsel for the petitioners: Sri Ramachandar Rao Vemuganti Counsel for respondents: AGP for Land Acquisition The Court made the following: ORDER: This writ petition is filed for a mandamus to declare the inaction of the respondents in considering the petitioners’ applications for enhancement of compensation under Section 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short ‘the Act’) in terms of the award, dated 22.01.1992, in O.P.No.53 of 1986 on the file of the learned Subordinate Judge, Karimnagar, as illegal and arbitrary. At the hearing, the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Land Acquisition, on instructions, submitted that while the award in O.P.No.53 of 1986 was passed on 22.01.1992, the petitioners filed their applications within the prescribed time. She, however, stated that because of the merger of several land acquisition units, the files were misplaced and the petitioners’ applications could not be disposed of. She has further submitted that as there is enormous delay in petitioners approaching this Court, they will not be entitled to payment of interest during the interregnum period. In my opinion, there is statutory obligation on the part of the respondents to dispose of the application filed under Section 28-A of the Act if the same is within time. It is admitted that the petitioners filed the applications within the prescribed time. Therefore, primarily the fault lies on the respondents in not disposing of the applications. The petitioners therefore cannot be blamed for not approaching this Court earlier as their failure to approach this Court has nothing to do with the non-disposal of their applications by the respondents. In this view of the matter, I do not find any merit in this submission of the learned Assistant Government Pleader that the petitioners shall be denied payment of interest for the alleged delay in their approaching this Court. For the above-mentioned reasons, the writ petition is allowed with the direction to respondent No.2 to dispose of the petitioners’ applications within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. As a sequel to disposal of the writ petition, W.P.M.P.No.26571 of 2011 is disposed of as infructuous. C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY, J 28th December, 2011 VGB