IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) TUESDAY, THE TWENTY FIRST DAY OF OCTOBER TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE B.SESHASAYANA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO : 20220 of 2008 Between: Jammula Venkat Reddy S/o. Narasimha Reddy Khammam District. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Deputy Secretary, Freedom Fighters Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, Loknayak Bhavan, New Delhi. 2 The Secretary, Revenue (FF) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Secretariat, Hyderabad. 3 The District Collector, Khammam District, Khammam. 4 Shri Konda Laxman Bapuji Chairperson to the Screening Committee of Eminent Freedom Fighters (SCEFF) Flat NO. 13, Surabhi Court, Beside Telugu Academy, Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad. .....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 order or orders more in the nature of writ of Mandamus directing the respondents two and three to submit an enquiry report to the ﬁrst respondent and further directed the ﬁrst respondent to place the petitioner's application with enquiry report before the fourth respondent's Committee for grant of freedom ﬁghters pension by holding that the petitioner is entitled for grant of freedom ﬁghters pension with all consequential arrears with eﬀect from the date on the then Screening recommended the petitioner's application on par with similarly situated persons by holding that the inaction of the respondents in not sanctioning the freedom ﬁghters pension to the petitioner on par with similarly situated persons, is illegal, arbitrary and discrimination being violation of Arts. 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India and pass such other order or orders. Counsel for the Petitioner: M/S CHINNA BABA,SRIKALA K Counsel for the Respondent No.1:MS. KMJD SYAMASUNDARI, SC FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT . Counsel for the Respondent Nos.2&3: GOVT. PLEADER FOR REVENUE. The Court made the following : ORDER: This writ petition has been ﬁled by Jammula Venkat Reddy with a prayer to issue a writ, order or direction, more particularly, one in the nature of writ of Mandamus directing the respondents 2 and 3 to submit enquiry report to the 1st respondent and further directing the 1st respondent to place the petitioner’s application along with enquiry report before the 4th respondent for grant of freedom fighters pension. 2. The petitioner claims to have participated in Nizam freedom movement on the call given by the State Congress Committee during the year 1947-48 for the merger of Hyderabad State into Indian Union. The Nizam Government issued arrest warrant against him and therefore, he joined in Mangollu Border Camp in Krishna District. He got training in arms and carried out all his activities against the Nizam Government till the police action for the merger of Hyderabad State into Indian Union. He submitted an application for grant of freedom fighters pension. He enclosed necessary certiﬁcates issued by the Border Camp-in-Charge of Mangollu, viz., Kamma Jaggaiah. His application was placed before the Screening Committee in the year 1997 with File No.112/3483/97 in the Agenda at Sl.No.1843. The Committee recommended his case for grant of freedom ﬁghters pension. He submitted all the required documents before the Enquiry Oﬃcer-District Revenue Oﬃcer, Khammam on 23.09.2003. But, so far no action has been taken by the respondents 2 and 3 to submit the enquiry report to the 1st respondent. 3. Heard learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and learned Standing Counsel of Central Government appearing for the 1st respondent and learned Government Pleader for Revenue appearing for the respondents 2 and 3. 4. The grievance of the petitioner is that his application for grant of freedom ﬁghters pension has not been recommended by the District Collector, Khammam-3rd respondent. 5. In that view of the matter, the writ petition is disposed of at the admission stage directing the District Collector, Khammam-3rd respondent to consider the application of the petitioner for grant of freedom ﬁghters pension and pass appropriate orders within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this Order. No costs. ________________________ B.SESHASAYANA REDDY, J. Date:21st October, 2008. cs ..... REGISTRAR // TRUE COPY // SECTION OFFICER To 1.2CCs to 2.2CD copies Form-NIC-OGS/WP{RLD}