THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE NOOTY RAMAMOHANA RAO WRIT PETITION No. 24473 OF 2011 O R D E R : This Writ Petition has been instituted seeking a declaration that the inaction of the 4th respondent Tahsildar, Punganur Mandal, Chittoor District in forwarding the report to the 2nd respondent Assistant Director of Mines and Geology, Palamaner, Chittoor District on the application submitted by the petitioner for grant of quarry lease for black granite over an extent of 5.00 hectares in Mangalam Village, Punganur Mandal, Chittoor District, as bad in law. On 30.08.2011, when the matter appeared, the learned Government Pleaders for Industries and Commerce as well as Revenue sought time to secure instructions in the matter. Today, the learned Government Pleader for Revenue (Andhra Area), who received instructions from the Tahsildar, submits that after inspecting the land, over which quarry lease application is filed, it was noticed by the Tahsildar that there is a small temple erected in the area and that the residents of nearby villages who frequently visit the said temple and worship there, have raised objections with regard to grant of quarry lease over the applied area. Further, a village by name, Guttapalle is hardly at a distance of a furlong from the applied area and it was also further observed that DKT pattas have been granted to landless poor persons in Survey Nos. 297/1, 2-10 and also in Survey Nos. 334/1,2,3 which adjoin the area applied for by the petitioner. The pattadars have raised groundnut crop in the lands assigned to them and therefore, both for agricultural operations and otherwise also, people keep moving in and out of and also in the surrounding areas where the land over which quarry lease applied for is situate and therefore, they raised an objection for grant of ‘No Objection Certificate’. The Tahsildar, therefore, opined that this is not an appropriate case where the ‘No Objection Certificate’ can be accorded for grant of quarry lease over the applied area. The learned Government Pleader for Revenue assures this Court that the Tahsildar would be communicating the necessary report in this regard to the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology and also to the District Collector, Chittoor within a maximum period of 15 days from today. In that view of the matter, the respondents would take an appropriate decision and communicate the same to the writ petitioner within a further period of 30 days from the date of receipt of the report of the Tahsildar. With this, the Writ Petition stands disposed of and the copy of the instructions received by the learned Government Pleader for Revenue has been taken on record. No costs. ---------------------------------------------- (NOOTY RAMAMOHANA RAO, J) 6th September 2011 ksld