HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE VILAS V. AFZULPURKAR WRIT PETITION No.27800 of 2011 O R D E R: The petitioner filed an application dated 28.05.1997 for grant of mining lease in Survey No.198/A/23 in Elchur Village, Santhamagalur Mandal, Prakasam District. The said application was acknowledged by the Office of the Director of Mines under acknowledgment dated 06.06.1997. While no orders were passed, the petitioner had filed W.P.No.25626 of 2002 before this Court, which was disposed of on 31.12.2002 directing the respondents to consider the petitioner’s application and pass appropriate orders, within six weeks. The petitioner had received a show cause notice dated 20.02.2003 to show cause as to why his application should not be rejected for non- submission of Mineral Revenue Clearance Certificate. The petitioner gave a detailed explanation, but his application was rejected under Memo of the respondents dated 09.07.2003. Questioning the said rejection, the petitioner preferred a revision to the Government of India under Revision Petition bearing Revision Application file No.2/14/2003-RC-II, which was allowed on 07.09.2005. The operative portion of the order of the revisional authority reads as follows: “In view of the above, the impugned order is set aside and the case is remanded back to the State Government with the direction that the application of the petitioner may be considered afresh on merits and as per law. The R.A is disposed of, accordingly.” In view of the said direction, the respondents were duty bound to consider the petitioner’s application. But alleging inaction, the petitioner filed the present writ petition. Notice before admission was granted on 27.10.2011, to enable the learned Government Pleader for Mines and Geology to get instructions. However, no counter affidavit is filed thereafter. On instructions, the learned Government Pleader for Mines and Geology submits remarks with reference to the petitioner’s application were already called for and submitted to the competent authority and the Director of Mines has to pass appropriate orders in accordance with law. The direction of the Central Government while disposing of the revision, which is already extracted as above, also mandates that the State Government should consider the application of the petitioner on merits and pass appropriate orders, in accordance with law. Since the petitioner’s application is pending from May, 1997, I deem it appropriate to dispose of the writ petition by directing the respondents to consider the petitioner’s application aforesaid on merits and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law, expeditiously, and in any case within six weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. ____________________ Vilas V. Afzulpurkar, J Date: 13.12.2011 va