IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY, THE FOURTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE PRESENT THE HON'BLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE BILAL NAZKI and THE HON'BLE DR JUSTICE G.YETHIRAJULU WRIT PETITION NO : 15548 of 2003 Between: 1 SAMATA, A Non-profit voluntary Organization No.8-2-590/B,Road No.1, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad- 500 034. rep. by its Executive Director, Rebbapragada Ravi , S/o.R.K.Rao, IFS, R/o.1249/A, Road No.62,Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad 2 All India Banjara Seva Sangh(AIBSS) (Regd. No.Mah/Mumbai/295- 1999 – GBBSD and F-21647/Mumbai, Building No.53, Gr.Flr., Opp. MIG Club, Gandhi Nagar, Bandra (E), Mumbai – 400 051) A.P. State Unit, Andhra Pradesh Branch, New M.O.A Quarters, No.13, Basheerbabh, Hyderabad rep. by Vice President, Bhukya Bansilal, R/o.Paloncha, Khammam District, A.P., 3 Adivasi Samkshema Parishad, 16-1-71/1, Bhagavandas Colony, Bhadrachalam, Khammam Dist., rep. by its State Convenor Sonde Veeraiah, S/o. Bojji, R/o. 16-1-71/1, Bhagavandas Colony Bhadrachalam, Khammam District. ..... PETITIONER(S) AND 1 Union of India, rep. by its Deputy Secretary Ministry of Dis-Investments, Block No.14, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 2 Ministry of Steel, rep. by its Secretary Govt of India, Udyog Bhavan, New Delhi-110011 3 Govt.of A.P. by its Secretary, Industries and Commerce Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad 4 The Commissioner & Director, Tribal welfare Department, Samkshama Bhavan, Masab tank, Hyderabad 5 Ministry of Tribal Welfare, Union of India, rep.by its Secretary, Girijan Bhavan, New Delhi 6 The District Collector, Khammam District, Khammam .....RESPONDENT(S) Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to issue a Writ, or order or direction more particularly in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the decision of the government of India R1 & Government of Andhra Pradesh R3 to disinvest their entire voting equity share in Sponge Iron India Limited, Paloncha, Khammam district AP as unconstitutional and violative of Andhra Pradesh Land Transfer regulation Act 1959 as amended by Regulation 1/70 and consequently restrain the respondent 1 & 3 from taking any action which alters the character of the company as defined under Section 617 of the companies Act while setting aside the notification in Economic Times on 11.6.2003. Counsel for the Petitioners: MR.K.S.MURTHY Counsel for the Respondent Nos.1, 2 and 5: Mr.A.Rajasekhar Reddy, Assistant Solicitor General Counsel for the Respondent No.3: The Govt. Pleader for Industries and Commerce. Counsel for the respondent Nos.4 and 6: None appeared. The Court made the following : ORAL ORDER: (per the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice) This writ petition was filed seeking direction that the Government should not privatize Sponge Iron India Limited, Paloncha, Khammam District. In response to this, learned counsel appearing for the Union of India has placed a letter received by him from the Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Disinvestment, by which he has been informed that the Government of India has decided not to pursue the process of disinvestment through strategic sale of its entire equity in the Sponge Iron India Limited. In this view of the matter, we do not think that further directions are necessary and the writ petition is accordingly disposed of. _______________ BILAL NAZKI, ACJ 4TH April, 2005 ___________________ Dr.G.YETHIRAJULU, J Tvr ..... REGISTRAR // TRUE COPY // SECTION OFFICER To 1 The Deputy Secretary, Union of India Ministry of Dis-Investments, Block No.14, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003. 2 The Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Govt of India, Udyog Bhavan, New Delhi-110011 3 The Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Industries and Commerce, Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad 4 The Commissioner & Director, Tribal welfare Department, Samkshama Bhavan, Masab tank, Hyderabad 5 The Secretary, Union of India, Ministry of Tribal Welfare, Girijan Bhavan, New Delhi 6 The District Collector, Khammam District, Khammam 7 2 CCs to the Govt. Pleader for Industries and Commerce, High Court Buildings, Hyderabad (OUT). 8. 2 CCs to the Assistant Solicitor General of India, High Court Buildings, Hyderabad (OUT) 9 2 CD copies