IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) TUESDAY, THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF AUGUST TWO THOUSAND AND TEN PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE R. SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION No.19492 of 2010 BETWEEN D.M. Govinda Swamy. ... PETITIONER AND The Commissioner (Appeals) and 7 others. ...RESPONDENTS Counsel for the Petitioner: MR. D. VIJAYCHANDRA REDDY Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR REVENUE MR. Y.V. RAVI PRASAD MR. P. GANGIRAMI REDDY MR. K. MOHANRAMI REDDY The Court made the following order: ORDER: This writ petition is filed seeking directions by way of Mandamus to declare the action of the respondents in not disposing of the application filed by the petitioner under Section 11-A of the Estates Abolition Act, 1948, as illegal and arbitrary. 2. The petitioner claims that he was granted Ryotwari Patta to an extent of Ac.14.00 cents out of Ac.251.50 cents in Sy.No.1 of Mangalam village in erstwhile Chandragiri Taluk, Chittoor District by the Settlement Officer, Nellore in his proceedings S.R.No.120/75 dated 10.12.1982 passed under Section 11-A of the Estate Abolition Act, 1948 (for short ‘the Act’). He claims to have purchased the aforesaid land from Vayuthoomutti Murugappa Mudali S/o. Krishnappa Mudali. The then Settlement Officer, Nellore by order dated 10.12.1982 allowed the applications filed under Section 11-A of the Act including that of the vendor of the petitioner. Aggrieved by the said orders, the District Collector, Chittoor; the Executive Officer, TTD; Vice Chairman, HUDA and the Divisional Manager, AP Housing Corporation, Chittoor District, filed appeal/revision before the Special Commissioner and Director of Settlements, Hyderabad. The appellate authority by order dated 15.10.1999 in R.P.No.95/84 H1 allowed the appeal/revision and set aside the order of the Settlement Officer dated 10.12.1982 and remanded the case to the Joint Collector cum Settlement Officer, Chittoor with a direction to examine the case with reference to the estate records and dispose of the same in accordance with law after giving reasonable opportunity to all the parties concerned. 3. In this writ petition it is the grievance of the petitioner that no further steps are being taken by the Joint Collector cum Settlement Officer, Chittoor pursuant to the directions issued by the Special Commissioner and Director of Settlements by order dated 15.10.1999 in proceedings R.P.No.95/84 H1. When the matter has come up on the last occasion, it was adjourned to enable the learned Government Pleader to get instructions in the matter. When the matter is taken up today, it is submitted by the learned Government Pleader that the matter is under enquiry before the Joint Collector cum Settlement Officer, Chittoor District and he has already issued notices for hearing and the matter is posted for hearing on 28.08.2010. 4. As much as the Settlement Officer has already taken up the enquiry pursuant to the directions issued in the order passed by the Special Commissioner and Director of Settlements, I deem it appropriate to direct the Joint Collector cum Settlement Officer to decide the matter in the light of the directions issued by the Special Commissioner and Director of Settlements in the order dated 15.10.1999 passed in R.P.No.95/84 H1, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of four (4) months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Subject to the above directions, the writ petition is disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. __________________ R. SUBHASH REDDY, J August 24, 2010 DSK