AI Structured Summary
Not yet generated for this judgment
Judgment
Antony Dominic, J.—Petitioners are owners and occupants of 24 acres of land comprised in Sy. No. 1060/1 of Puthoor Village in Attappady of Mannarkkad Taluk in Palakkad District. Exts.P1 to P6 are the title deeds and Exts.P7 and P8 are the receipts evidencing payment of basic tax in respect of the property. According to the Petitioners, about 12 acres of the aforesaid land is covered by various agricultural crops. They say that they have developed the land into a plantation availing of substantial amounts by way of loans from commercial Banks.
In this writ petition, they submit that repeatedly their plantations have been attacked by wild animals from the adjacent reserve forest causing extensive damage to crops. These losses have been reported to the forest authorities who have estimated the loss and reports have been made that substantial loss has been caused. Despite this, their applications for suitable compensation have not been considered. In these circumstances, the Petitioners have made Exts.P15 and P17 applications to the 2nd Respondent requesting mainly for a modification of the Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, 2008, enabling those like the Petitioners also to claim the waiver of the dues.
From Ext.P16 reply issued by the 2nd Respondent, it is seen that the applications made by them have been forwarded to the 1st Respondent, the department which administers the scheme referred to above. Now in the light of Exts.P15, P16 and P17, what is sought for by the Petitioners is a direction to the 1st Respondent to consider the representations and pass appropriate orders in the matter.
From the documents produced by the Petitioners, it is therefore clear that Exts.P15 and P17 made by the Petitioners are pending consideration of the 1st Respondent. As already noticed, what they are seeking is mainly the modification of the Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, 2008. This essentially is in the realm of policy and only the 1st Respondent, which has formulated the scheme can modify the same also.
In that view of the matter and also taking note of the pendency of the representations referred to above, I direct the 1st Respondent to consider the said representations and pass orders thereon. This the 1st Respondent shall do as expeditiously as possible, at any rate within 4 months of production of a copy of this judgment along with a copy of this writ petition.
Writ petition is disposed of as above.