ANDHRA CEMENTS LTD Vs. GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The proceedings on the file of the first respondent contained in Memo. Nos. 699, 700, 702 and 705/M.11-2/99-2 dated 14- 07-1999 rejecting the application of the petitioner for grant of prospecting licence for limestone over the areas in Kesavapalli, Alugumallipadu villages in Dachepalli Mandal, Sankarapuram village in Karampudi Mandal and Gogullapadu village in Gurajala Mandal of Guntur District, is impugned in this writ petition.

(2.) The petitioner prays for issuance of a Writ of Mandamus declaring the said proceedings void and also for consequential direction, directing respondent Nos. I to 3 to grant prospecting licence of mining lease in respect of the said areas to the petitioner.

(3.) The petitioner is a public limited company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cement and other allied products. It claims to have the potential of manufacturing cement to the tune of 3300 Tons per day i.e., I.I Million Tons per annum. It became sick sometime in the year 1990. The Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (for short "BIFR") provided rehabilitation package under the provisions of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985. The petitioner claims to have revived production from December 1994, as per the rehabilitation provided by the BIFR.