Bini.V vs District Collector

Bechu Kurian Thomas, J

Petitioner is the owner of various extent of lands. Petitioner alleges that she had filed an application in Form 6 under Rule 12(1) of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Rules, 2008 (for short ‘the Rules’). Copy of the application dated 14.03.2023, submitted by the petitioner, is produced as Ext.P7.

According to her, the property is not a paddy land, but it has been wrongly described as paddy land in the revenue records, which requires variation. For changing the nature of land in the revenue records, she filed the application on 14.03.2023. However, it is alleged that a decision has not been taken on the said application till date.

Form 6 application filed by the petitioner is a statutory application as per Rule 12(1) of the Rules. The competent authority, therefore, has a legal duty to consider the said application in accordance with law within a reasonable time, provided it has been submitted along with all supporting documents and the prescribed fee.

Having heard Sri.Sonnymon K. Mathew, learned counsel for the petitioner and Smt.Amminikutty K., learned Senior Government Pleader, I am of the view that this writ petition can be disposed of with a direction to take a decision on Ext.P7 application in a time bound manner.

Accordingly, there will be a direction to the 2nd respondent to decide on Ext.P7 within a period of four months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. The timeline stipulated above shall be strictly complied with by the respondent concerned.

The writ petition is disposed of accordingly.