D. SEKHAR S/O LATE SRI D. VENKATESWARLU, AGED 56 YEARS, R/O.# 1 Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, FOREST DEPARTMENT, SECRETARIAT, HYDERABAD AND OTHERS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Smt. N.Shobha, learned counsel for petitioners in all the writ petitions, learned Government Pleader for Mines & Geology (AP) for respondents 2, 7 & 8, learned Government Pleader for Forests (AP), for respondents 1, 5 and 6, and learned Government Pleader for Revenue (AP) for respondents 3, 4 and 9 in all writ petitions.

(2.) Petitioners were granted quarry lease for road metal in Sy.No.143 of Loya Village, G.Konduru Mandal, Krishna District with various extents to the respective petitioners. The lease granted to them is in force. While so, by show cause notice dated 20.04.2016, they were called to give explanation as to why action to cancel the lease granted to them should not be initiated. The show cause notice refers to letter of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Krishna Division, Vijayawada addressed to the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology dated 18.03.2016, where under the Divisional Forest Officer informed the Assistant Director of Mines and Geology that the land on which lease for quarrying operations were granted is part of reserved forest and suggested to initiate action for cancellation of the mining leases granted. These writ petitions are filed challenging the letter of the Divisional Forest Officer dated 18.03.2016 and show cause of Deputy Director of Mines & Geology, dated 20.04.2016.

(3.) This Court by order dated 25.11.2016 granted interim suspension of the letter of the Divisional Forest Officer dated 18.03.2016 and consequential notice of the Deputy Director of Mines and Geology, Kakinada dated 20.04.2016, which order is extended from time to tome.