1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO. 74 OF 2010 Bharat Bhagwan Pawar & Anr. .. Petitioners. Vs. State of Maharashtra & Ors. .. Respondents. Mr. D.A. Patil for the Petitioners. Mr. R.P. Behare, Addl. G.P. for Respondent Nos. 1 to 4. CORAM : J. N. PATEL, ACTING C.J. & S.C. DHARMADHIKARI, J. DATE : 6TH MAY, 2010. P.C. : The petitioners have approached this Court in public interest complaining of large scale illegal excavation of sand from Bhima River bed. The petitioners who comes from village Khedbhose, Tal. Pandharpur, Dist. Solapur had addressed several letters and made a grievance before the Collector, Dist. Solapur right from January, 2010 and pointed out the large scale excavation of sand from the said river bed. It is their case that it is illegal and without any proper permisson or 2 authorisation from the authorities. We have noticed that several such complaints are made by villagers and public spirited citizens. Our attention is invited to one of the orders of the Division Bench of this Court. Ultimately authorities who are in-charge of district administration are supposed to look into such grievances. The public spirited persons have pointed out that their complaints are not redressed and are overlooked. 2. In the peculiar facts of this case, we are, therefore, left with no alternative but to direct the Principal Secretary, Revenue and Forest Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai to treat this writ petition as a representation and take a decision on the same within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of the copy of this order. We have passed this order because the petitioners have prayed that it is not in the interest of ecology and environment that such illegal excavation of sand should be allowed. In these circumstances, the petitioners should bring this order to the notice of the authorities and particularly the Principal Secretary who shall act upon it within the time specified above. 3. The petition is disposed of in terms of the above direction. ( J. N. Patel, Acting C.J) (S.C. Dharmadhikari, J)