JUDGMENT :

1. The petitioner, who is owner of 18.90 Ares of land in Manalithara Village of Thalappilly Taluk in Thrissur District, has filed this writ petition seeking to direct the 3rd respondent to consider and pass orders on Ext.P5 application within a time frame to be fixed by this Court.

2. The petitioner states that he is owner of 18.90 Ares of land situated in Survey No.137/6 of Manalithara Village, Thalappilly Taluk in Thrissur District. The land is a garden land. It is not cultivated with paddy. It is not fit for paddy cultivation either. However, the land is included in the Data Bank and is described as converted land in Revenue records also.

3. The petitioner wants to use the land for other purposes. Hence, the petitioner filed Ext.P5 application in Form-5, invoking Rule 4(d) of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Rules, 2008. The application was filed on 24.01.2022. The application is not disposed of so far. Unless the application is considered expeditiously, the petitioner will be put to untold hardship and loss, contends the petitioner.

4. The Government Pleader representing the respondents resisted the writ petition. The Government Pleader controverted