ORDER:

The petitioner prays for a writ of mandamus declaring the order in proceedings No.30786/D-11-ATP/2017 dated 03.12.2019 passed by 2nd respondent rejecting the quarry lease application for barytes in an extent of 2 hectares in S.No.01/P (Compartment No.558) of Yellutla Village, Puttulu Mandal, Anantapuramu District as illegal, arbitrary and without jurisdiction and for a consequential direction to 2nd respondent to grant quarry lease in favour of the petitioner.

2. The petitioner’s case succinctly is thus:

(a) The petitioner submitted an application dated 16.11.2017 to 2nd respondent for grant of quarry lease of barytes over an extent of 2 hectares in the aforesaid area which is a forest land. The 4th respondent inspected the applied area for quarry lease and made a recommendation to forward the application to 5th respondent to enable the applicant to obtain forest clearance under the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (for short, ‘the FC Act, 1980’) subject to the satisfaction of the Andhra Pradesh Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1966 (for short ‘the APMMC