JUDGMENT

Pattanaik, J.- Leave granted.

2. This appeal by special leave is directed against the judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court dated 27.8.1993 in writ petition No. 3734 of 1993. The present appellant was respondent No. 6 before the High Court. SAKTI, a voluntary social organisation for the upliftment of tribals in East Godavari District filed the writ petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court praying therein that the mining activities which are carried on by the respondents 6 to 10 in the said writ petition should be immediately stopped as the grant of mining leases in their favour is in contravention of Section 3 of Andhra Pradesh Schedule Areas Land, Transfer Regulation, 1959 (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation ) as well as Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (hereinafter referred to as the Conservation Act ). It was averred in the writ petition that the villages where the mining activities are being carried on were notified as protected forests under Section 24 of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act, 1967 with effect from 8.9.1975 and within the said forest area it is not permissible to continue any mining activity in view of the provisions of the Conser