THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE NOOTY RAMAMOHANA RAO WRIT PETITION No. 16309 OF 2011 O R D E R: This Writ Petition has been instituted for declaring the inaction of the respondents in regularizing the occupation of the land by the petitioner, in accordance with the policy decision announced by the State Government contained in their G.O.Ms.No. 166, Revenue (Assn. POT) Department, dated 16.02.2008 as illegal and arbitrary. It is stated that the petitioner was in possession of 140 square yards of site in Ward No. 20, Qilla Road, Nizamabad for the past over 30 years and was carrying on some petty business therein. The State Government has announced its policy decision, through their G.O.Ms.No. 166, dated 16.02.2008, agreeing, in principle, to transfer certain rights in land in favour of occupants/encroachers. The scheme relates to regularization of unassigned government lands, which are encroached upon or occupied on or before 31.12.2003 by raising a structure or otherwise. In paragraph 5 of the said policy decision, the manner in which the occupation has to be established has been spelt out in detail. Paragraph 7 thereof enables consideration of the transfer of rights, provided such applications are filed before the District Collector concerned before 30.06.2008, the last date set forth for the said purpose. The general disqualifications for securing the benefit of regularization have been spelt out in detail in paragraph 10, while the norms for consideration of the transfer have been spelt out in paragraph 11 thereof. In terms of this policy decision of the State Government contained in G.O.Ms.No. 166, the petitioner has filed his application before the District Collector, Nizamabad. Quite astonishingly, the application, which contained a declaration to be signed by the applicant, bears the date 30.08.2008, as can be seen from page 11 of the paper book filed in this Writ Petition, but however, the said application seems to have been acknowledged by the office of the Collector on 29.08.2008 itself, a day prior to the declaration of the writ petitioner. Strange are the ways of functioning of government officials! The writ petitioner has secured an acknowledgement from the District Collector on 07.06.2008. It will be very difficult to make out from the material enclosed to this Writ Petition as to whether actually the writ petitioner has filed his application seeking regularization on 07.06.2008 or 30.08.2008 or 29.08.2008. That is a matter which must be determined and decided by the District Collector, Nizamabad. If the State and/or the District Collector are considering the applications, which might be presented beyond the last date, namely 30.06.2008, I am sure the application of the petitioner along with such other cases will also be considered. However, it would only be appropriate that the writ petitioner should be communicated the decision taken on his application one way or the other, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of four months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. It would also be appropriate for the respondents to consider whether the regularization of the occupation of land by the petitioner would help the State, inasmuch as the land appears to be under occupation and possession of the petitioner for a fairly very long period of nearly 30 years. With this, the Writ Petition stands disposed of. No costs. ---------------------------------- (NOOTY RAMAMOHANA RAO, J) 8th July 2011 ksld