Ravula Venkata Reddy v. The State Of Telangana

Date : 19.6.2019 Between:

Ravula Venkata Reddy S/o Jagannadha Reddy Aged 60 yrs Occ Agriculture Both are residents of Edulapusapally village and Mandal Mahabubabad of District Mahabubabad & another Petitioner And The State of Telangana Rep by its Principal Secretary Forest Department Secretariat Bldgs Saifabad Hyderabad & others Respondents The Court made the following:

ORAL ORDER:

Heard learned counsel for petitioners and learned Government Pleader for Forest Department.

2.

Petitioners claim to be owners and possessors of various extents of land as mentioned in paragraph 3 of the affidavit filed in support of the writ petition. Petitioners claim that though they are pattadars and owners of the subject land and are in possession and enjoyment for several decades and possess all the documents issued by the competent authorities in support of their title, forest officials are trying to dispossess them summarily and same is illegal. 3.

Learned counsel for petitioners contend that even assuming that petitioners are in occupation of forest land, basic requirement is to put them on notice, call upon them to explain about their claim of ownership and then to take appropriate decision but straightaway respondents cannot dispossess petitioners.

4.

Learned Government Pleader submits that if petitioners are in occupation of reserve forest land, they have to be evicted. She further submits that forest land area is already earmarked and competent authority will verify whether petitioners are in occupation of notified scheduled forest area and if petitioners are in occupation of notified scheduled forest area, appropriate steps will be taken in accordance with law to evict them.

5.

In view of the fair submission of learned Government Pleader, writ petition is disposed of granting liberty to respondent

authorities to verify whether petitioners are in occupation of notified scheduled forest area and if petitioners found to be in occupation of notified scheduled forest area, to issue notices and after affording due opportunity of hearing and on consideration of objections/explanations offered by them, to take appropriate decision assigning due reasons in support thereof. Miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, are closed. __________________ P NAVEEN RAO,J DATE: 19-6-2019 TVK

Date : 19.6.2019