Sanjay Kumar, J.—Individual orders dated 6.6.1986 were passed by the Settlement Officer, Visakhapatnam, rejecting certain applications filed under Section 11(a) of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1948 (for brevity, the Act of 1948). The said applications were made by the petitioners in these cases and/or their predecessors-in-title for grant of ryotwari pattas in relation to various extents of land in Singavaram Village of Korukonda Taluk, East Godavari District, claimed by them under registered sale deeds. These lands formed part of Gangulapudi Zamindari estate, which was notified and taken over by the Government in the year 1950 under the Act of 1948.

2. The Settlement Officer, Visakhapatnam, rejected the subject applications on the ground that they were not filed within 30 days from the date of introduction of settlement rates, as prescribed under Rule 2(4) (wrongly described as Rule 4) of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Grant of Ryotwari Patta Rules, 1973 (for brevity, the Rules of 1973). The orders of the Settlement Officer were confirmed in revision by the Director of