BALWANTRAI HARILAL PAREKH Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) There is a common issue involved in these three petitions. The issue is about the manner in which revision applications and appeals under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 (for short "the said Code") are being dealt with by the State Government. On the basis of the submissions made across the bar, the issues/ grievances which are the subject matter these three petitions can be summarized as under:

(2.) In Writ Petition (St.) No.11253/2017, the grievance of the petitioner is that an appeal preferred by the petitioner in March 2016 is not being heard by the State Government which is the appellate authority and even applications for interim relief are not being heard. In Writ Petition (St.) No.11254/2017, the grievance is identical.

(3.) Writ Petition No.7504/2015 was disposed of by the order dated 6th August 2015 by a Division Bench of this Court directing the State Government to decide the revision application preferred by the petitioners by the end of the year 2015. As the said order was not complied with, a contempt petition was filed therein which was disposed of by the order dated 8th September 2016 by another Division Bench of this Court by which time to dispose of the revision was extended by a period of two months. The grievance in Civil Application No.2041/2018 is that the said revision application is not being disposed of notwithstanding the two orders passed by this Court. We must note that in this civil application, a communication dated 24th September 2018 addressed by the Desk Officer of the Revenue and Forest Department to the Assistant Government Pleader is filed which records that the revision application was disposed of by the judgment and order dated 23rd August 2017. A regret has been expressed in the said letter that the revision application could not be disposed of within the time fixed under the order dated 8th September 2016. It is contended that the said order was not served to the applicant. Such grievances arise as after the appeals and revision applications under the said Code are heard by the State Government, the date for pronouncement of judgment is never communicated to the parties.