IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE TWENTY SEVENTH DAY OF AUGUST TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA WRIT PETITION No.17997 of 2009 Between: Midadala Veerachan ..... PETITIONER AND The Agent to Government Tribal Welfare (District Collector), Eluru, West Godavari District and others. .....RESPONDENTS ORDER: The petitioner claims to be the absolute owner and possessor of land to an extent of Ac.4.47 cents situated in R.S.No.57/1 of Jeelugumilli Village and Mandal, West Godavari District. It is the case of the petitioner that at the instance of respondents 4 and 5, the second respondent initiated proceedings under Section 3(1) of A.P. Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulations, 1959 and through his orders, dated 27.11.2008, ordered eviction of the petitioner from the land in question. Aggrieved thereby, the petitioner claims to have filed an appeal on 20.07.2009 before the Agent to Government/District Collector, Eluru, West Godavari District, the first respondent, along with an application seeking stay. It is the grievance of the petitioner that his appeal has not been considered so far and no orders have been passed even on his application for stay. In the meanwhile, since there is threat of dispossession, the present writ petition is filed. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Social Welfare appearing for the respondents Since the statutory appeal is pending before the first respondent, it would be appropriate to protect the possession of the petitioner till the appeal is disposed of in accordance with law. Accordingly, without going into the merits of the case, the writ petition is disposed of, at the admission stage, with a direction to the first respondent to dispose of the appeal preferred by the petitioner, expeditiously. Till the disposal of the appeal by the first respondent, status quo obtaining as on today shall be maintained by both the parties. No costs. ___________________ N.V. RAMANA, J. Date:27.08.2009 VGB