IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) PRESENT: THE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY WEDNESDAY, THE THIRD DAY OF MARCH, TWO THOUSAND TEN WRIT PETITION Nos.4836 and 4841 of 2010 WRIT PETITION Nos.4836 of 2010 Between: Ghousia Begum and another. … Petitioners And State of Andhra Pradesh, reptd., by its Secretary, Forest Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad and others. … Respondents WRIT PETITION Nos.4841 of 2010 Between: Badiuddin Khan and others. … Petitioners And State of Andhra Pradesh, reptd., by its Secretary, Forest Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad and others. … Respondents Counsel for the petitioners (both WPs): Sri Harener Pershad. Counsel for the respondents (both WPs): GP for Forests. This Court made the following: COMMON ORDER:- In these two Writ Petitions, the grievance of the petitioners is that despite pendency of proceedings for notifying the land in question as forest under the provisions of the A.P.Forest Act, 1967, since the year 1999 the proceedings have not been concluded either by acquiring the land for forest or by excluding the same. The learned Government Pleader for Forests stated that the entire issue is pending before the Forest Settlement Officer, respondent No.6; and that in a similar Writ Petition, viz., W.P.No.9526 of 2009, directions were given by this Court on 4- 12-2009 to the respondents to complete the proceedings within a period of six months. He further submitted that the questions as to whether the lands are private lands; and, if so, they belong to the petitioners, are required to be settled by respondent No.6. Inasmuch as respondent No.6 is seized of the dispute, it is appropriate that the petitioners are relegated to the said authority. Accordingly, both the Writ Petitions are disposed of, without going into the merits of the case, with the direction to respondent No.6 to consider representations dated 5-9-2009 of the petitioners, which are stated to have been received by him on 7-9-2009, and dispose of the same along with the claims of other similarly situated persons within the time stipulated by this Court in Writ Petition No.9526 of 2009. ----------------------------- ------- C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY,J Date:03-3-2010 MNR