PUNDLIK SAMBHAJI TELANGE Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Both these writ petitions, involving identical questions of fact and law, are being disposed of by this common judgment. The petitioners in these petitions invoke the writ jurisdiction of this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking a direction to the respondent authorities to regularize their alleged encroachments upon gairan (grazing) land on the basis of the Government Resolution dtd. 28/11/1991 issued by the State of Maharashtra.

(2.) In Writ Petition No. 13465 of 2025, the petitioners seek regularization of their occupation over land bearing Gut No. 224, situated at Village Aasadvan, Tq. and Dist. Nanded. In Writ Petition No. 13468 of 2025, the petitioners claim regularization over lands bearing Gut Nos. 33, 34 and 71, situated at Village Gadadgavan, Tq. Jintur, Dist. Parbhani. According to the petitioners, the said lands are gairan lands belonging to the State.

(3.) The petitioners aver that they belong to Scheduled Caste communities, are landless agricultural labourers, and fall below the poverty line. They state that they have allegedly been in occupation of the government lands for several decades and, therefore, their encroachments deserve regularization in terms of the aforesaid Government Resolution. They further contend that they have submitted several representations from time to time, some are as far back as the 1980's, they requested regularization, but the authorities failed to take any decision.