IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) FRIDAY, THE TWENTY EIGHTH DAY OF JANUARY TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA WRIT PETITION NO.20732 of 2004 Between: M/s. Sathavahana Inspat Limited, rep by its Managing Director, A. Naresh Kumar, S/o. A.S. Rao, Corporate Office at 505, 5th Floor, Block-I, Divyashakti Complex, Ameerpet, Hyderabad. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Principal Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Industries & Commerce (M-III) Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad. 2 The Director of Mines & Geology, Department of Mines, B.R.K.R. Bhavan, 8th Floor, Tankbund, Hyderabad. 3 The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Aranya Bhavan, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad. 4 The District Forest Officer, Ananthapur Division, Ananthapur. 5 The Assistant Director-Mines and Geology, Department of Mines & Geology, Ananthapur .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed herein the High Court may be pleased to issue an appropriate writ, order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the 1st respondent in rejecting the Petitioner's Mining Lease Application Dt. 12-7-1993 vide its Proceedings in Memo No. 626/M.III-1/2000-2, dt. 29-5-2000 as illegal, unjust, arbitrary and contrary to the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 besides being unconstitutional and consequentially to direct the respondents to consider the petitioner's Application for grant of Mining lease for IRON ORE in the land an extent of Ac.37.45 hectors in Anantharangammakonda of Siddapuram Village, Raidurga Mandal, Anantapur District. Counsel for the Petitioner: MR.K.SANKARAYYA Counsel for the Respondent Nos.1, 2 and 5: GP FOR INDUSTRIES & COMMERCE Counsel for the Respondent Nos.3 and 4: GP for Forests. The Court, at the admission stage, made the following : ORDER: Questioning the impugned proceedings dated 29.05.2000 of the 1st respondent rejecting the petitioner’s application dated 12.07.1993 for grant of mining lease for IRON ORE in respect of the land admeasuring Ac.37.45 Hectors situated in Anantharangammakonda of Siddapuram village, Raidurga Mandal, Ananthapur District, the petitioner filed the present writ petition. Heard the learned counsel for petitioner, learned Government Pleader for Industries and Commerce and learned Government Pleader for Forests. On 23.12.2004 this Court has passed the following order; “Learned Government Pleader seeks time to file counter and the learned counsel for the petitioner seeks time to file reply to the implead petition. Post next week. Till then, status quo obtaining as on today shall be maintained.” On 31.12.2004, this Court further extended the said status quo orders till 18.01.2005 and the matter was listed before this Court for admission. When the matter is taken up for hearing today, Learned Government Pleader for Industries and Commerce, on instructions, submitted that the M.L. application of the petitioner for grant of mining lease for IRON ORE was rejected by the Government vide orders dated 17.01.2005. Learned Government Pleader further submitted that the subsequent representations of the petitioner dated 09.03.2004 and 22.03.2004 were also rejected by the Government under the said order. At this juncture, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner may be permitted to withdraw the present writ petition with liberty to approach the Revisional Authority under the Minor Mineral Concession Rules 1966. Under the circumstances, the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn granting liberty to the petitioner to approach the revisional authority for appropriate orders in the matter in accordance with law. _______________ N.V. RAMANA, J. Date: 28.01.2005 Nsr/Ksr ..... REGISTRAR // TRUE COPY // SECTION OFFICER To 1 The Principal Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Industries & Commerce (M-III) Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad. 2 The Director of Mines & Geology, Department of Mines, B.R.K.R. Bhavan, 8th Floor, Tankbund, Hyderabad. 3 The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Aranya Bhavan, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad. 4 The District Forest Officer, Ananthapur Division, Ananthapur. 5 The Assistant Director-Mines and Geology, Department of Mines & Geology, Ananthapur 6 Two CCS to GP for Industries and Commerce, High Court of AP, Hyderabad (OUT) 7 Two CCs to GP for Forests, High Court of AP, Hyderabad (OUT) 8 2CD copies Form-NIC-OGS/WP{RLD}