THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO.16345 OF 2010 DT.12.07.2010 Between: Smt.T. Anuradha, W/o.T.Lalithendra Nath, Aged 43 years, Occ: Agriculture, Residing at Flat No.HIG 48, Sector-I, M.V.P.Colony, Visakhapatnam and another ……..Petitioners Vs. The Revenue Divisional Officer, Kavali, Sri Pottisreeramulu Nellore District, Nellore and another ……..Respondents. THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO.16345 OF 2010 O R D E R: The grievance of the petitioners is with regard to the inaction of the Revenue Divisional Officer, Kavali, Sri Pottisreeramulu Nellore District, respondent No.1, in passing orders on their stay application in appeal R.C.No.1594 of 2010. They seek a consequential direction to respondent No.1 to pass orders after giving them due opportunity as per procedure. Aggrieved by the action of the Tahsildar, Jaladanki Mandal, SPSR Nellore District, seeking to assign their lands to landless poor persons, the petitioners approached this Court by way of Writ Petition No.7289 of 2010. By order dated 31.03.2010, this Court disposed of the writ petition directing the petitioners to file an appeal under BSO 15(15) of the Andhra Pradesh Board of Revenue Standing Orders. The appellate authority was directed to dispose of the same after giving due opportunity to the petitioners and other interested persons. Pursuant to the above direction, the petitioners filed the subject appeal before respondent No.1, which was numbered as Appeal R.C.No.1594 of 2010. They filed a stay application seeking interim protection. However, no orders have been passed by respondent No.1 till date. The plea of the petitioners that this Court should grant them interim protection pending the statutory appeal cannot be countenanced. Article 226 of the Constitution is not intended to be used for circumventing statutory remedies. The appropriate course for the petitioners is to pursue their stay application before respondent No.1. Needless to state, such authorities are required to be prompt in discharge of their quasi judicial functions under the statute so as to provide timely protection to the rights of the parties. Delay in this regard would enjoin futility of the adjudication in some cases and in any event lead to general distrust in the system. Such a situation needs to be avoided. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of directing the Revenue Divisional Officer, Kavali, SPSR Nellore District to consider the stay application filed by the petitioners in Appeal R.C.No.1594 of 2010 after giving due opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned and pass reasoned orders thereof within one week from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. There shall be no order as to costs. ________________ SANJAY KUMAR, J. Dt.12.07.2010 Note: Issue copy by tomorrow. B/o. Rns