The rejection of a land survey and demarcation application lacks legal justification, necessitating compliance with established guidelines for processing such requests.

ORDER :

(C.V. BHASKAR REDDY, J.)

This writ petition is filed seeking following relief :

“For the reasons stated in the accompanying affidavit filed in support of the writ petition, it is therefore, prayed that this Hon’ble Court may be pleased to issue an appropriate writ, order or direction more especially one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in rejecting the FLINE application dt.11.4.2025 vide rejection order dt.21.4.2025 in surveying and fixing the boundaries of the petitioners lands in all admeasuring Ac.26.13 gts., part and parcel of Survey Nos.52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 86 and 87, situated at Pedda Shapur village, Shamshabad Mandal, Ranga Reddy district as bad, illegal and arbitrary and consequently set aside the same and direct the respondent authorities to conduct survey of the said lands of the petitioners with the help of Tippan and demarcate the same and fix the boundaries in the interest of justice in pursuant to the FLINE application dt. 11.4.2023 of the petitioner and pass such other order or orders as this Hon’ble Court deems fit and proper in the circumstances of the case.”

2. It is stated that the petitioners are holding total extent of land admeasuring Acs. 26.13 guntas in Survey Nos.52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 86 and 87, situated at Pedda Shapur Village, Shamshabad Mandal, Ranga Reddy District (for short, ‘the subject land’) and their names were mutated in the revenue records and they were issued pattadar passbooks as per the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Act, 1971. It is further stated that since some third parties are trying to encroach the subject land under the guise of different survey numbers/plots, the petitioners made an F-line application dated 11.04.2025 to the 3rd respondent requesting him to conduct survey and demarcate their subject land with the help of tippan and fix the boundaries to avoid any future complications. The grievance of the petitioners is that the respondent authorities have rejected the F-line application of the petitioners on 21.04.2025 on the ground that a plot cannot be demarcated as it does not have S.B. records. Hence the present writ petition.

3. The issue relating to conduct of survey and sub-division of survey etc. was considered by this Court vide order dated 23.08.2022 in W.P.No.32785 of 2022 and the relevant portion of the said order is extracted hereunder:

“8. The Commissioner, Survey, Settlements and Land Records, Hyderabad, has issued various circulars from time to time in connection with conducting of survey, demarcations and sub-division of land and survey numbers and also disposal of F-line petitions submitted by the parties concerned seeking survey and sub-division. The said circulars were issued keeping in view the Board Standing Orders-34A para 20(a) of the Board Standing Orders, which reads as under:-

“Applications from private parties to point out the boundaries of their fields in accordance with the survey records may be received by the Taluk Tahsildar. On receipt of the application with the deposit (prescribed fee), the Tahsildar should forward it to the Surveyor-Firka Deputy Surveyor who should, during his visit to the village, comply with the request. The Surveyor-Firka Deputy Surveyor should after pointing out the required boundary to the ryot, obtain his signature to that effect in the application and should himself (write) thereon that the boundary was pointed out by him in accordance with the measurements noted in the survey records.”

Paragraph No.6 (b) of the Rc.No.N2/1741/2010, dated 18.05.2010 Circular reads as under:-

“F-line petitions/demarcation petitions received in respect of portions of survey fields in agricultural lands should be converted by Tahsildars ad applications for subdivision on payment