THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA WRIT PETITION No.4272 of 2011 ORDER: The document executed in favour of the petitioner in respect of certain lands in S.No.1197 (part) of Waltair Ward, Visakhapatnam, was kept pending registration. Upon enquiry, the petitioner was informed that the subject land was covered by a notification issued under Section 22-A of the Registration Act, 1908 (for brevity, ‘the Act of 1908’) prohibiting registration of documents in respect of the land in S.No.1197 (part) of Waltair Ward, Visakhapatnam. G.O.Ms.No.657, Revenue (Registration-I) Department, dated 08.10.2011 was issued in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 22-A of the Act of 1908 as it stood prior to its amendment in 2007. By way of the said G.O., prohibition with regard to the registration of documents was enforced on the ground of the same being opposed to public policy. S.No.1197 of Waltair Ward, Visakhapatnam finds mention along with other lands. Pertinent to note, G.O.Ms.No.657 dated 08.10.2001 was held to be illegal by this Court and was set aside i n V.SURENDRA BABJI v. GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH[1]. As the G.O. has already been held to be illegal and in the light of the amendment of Section 22-A of the Act of 1908 excluding the ground of public policy, prohibition as to the Registration of documents presented has to be based on a notification issued under Section 22-A(e) read with Section 22-A(2) of the Act of 1908. In the present case, no such notification is extant. That being so, the action of the respondent authorities in keeping the petitioner’s document pending registration is without any legal basis. The Writ Petition is accordingly allowed at the threshold directing the respondent authorities to complete the registration formalities in respect of the petitioner’s document bearing No.P.1721/2010 and release the same, subject to compliance with due procedure. No costs. __________________________ ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA, J 22.02.2011 VV/KSP [1] W.P.No.11685 of 2002 dated 17.04.2009