THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE S.ANANDA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO. 4670 OF 2007 DATED: 21-09-2007 BETWEEN: Bujjala Nagamma, W/o. B.Bucha Reddy and 4 others …Petitioners and The Special Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition Unit, Priyadarsini, Jurala Project, Gadwal, Mahaboobnagar District and another …Respondents THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE S.ANANDA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO. 4670 OF 2007 ORDER: This writ petition is filed by the petitioners aggrieved by the inaction of the respondents in referring the applications filed under Sec.18 of the Land Acquisition Act (for short ‘the Act’) to the Civil Court with reference to the issue of determination of the compensation. 2. It is stated that the petitioners are not satisfied with the determination of the compensation made by the Land Acquisition Officer. Therefore, they submitted their representations for referring under Sec.18 of the Act with reference to the Award No.14 of 1990, dated 10-08-1990. Since there was no response on the part of the respondents, the petitioners have come up with the present writ petition. 3. A counter is filed on behalf of the respondents stating that the petitioners did not receive the compensation under protest, and hence they are not entitled to seek reference under Sec.18 of the Act. 4. At the time of hearing, it is represented by the learned counsel for the petitioners that the issue involved in this writ petition is squarely covered by the judgment of the full bench of this Court in DISTRICT COLLECTOR, KAKINADA, EAST GODAVARI DISTRICT v. P. NAGABHUSHANA RAO[1] wherein it is concluded that in the absence of any specific mode of showing the protest, making of application under Sec.18 of the Act itself is sufficient to show that the compensation received was under protest and therefore, the Land Acquisition Officer was obligated to make a reference at the request of the claimants. 5. In view of the full bench judgment of this Court, the Land Acquisition Officer is obligated to refer the matter to the Civil Court under Sec.18 of the Act for re-determination of the compensation. 6. Under the above circumstances, the writ petition is allowed and the Land Acquisition Officer is directed to refer the claims of the petitioners within a period of four(4) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. No order as to costs. ______________________ S. ANANDA REDDY, J. Dated: 21-09-2007 Note: Issue C.C. within one week. B/O Rns [1] 2003(6) ALD 48(FB)