JUDGMENT

Dated this the 26th day of A ugust, 2022 The petitioner submitted an application for licence for conducting quarrying activities. The Secretary to the Grama Panchayat rejected the application as per Ext.P8. Ext.P8 would show that the application for licence has been rejected on the ground that the Panchayat Committee has taken a policy decision that no new licences be granted for opening quarries.

2. A Division Bench of this Court considered similar issue inThrippangottur Grama Panchayat and another v. M.K. Chandran and others [2020 KHC 2559]. This Court held that:

“ A s per G.O.(P) No.80/2017, other amendments were also made to the rules with respect to the receipt of the application, issuance of acknowledgment and processing of the same by including R.5A and adding a proviso to R.6, whereby, it is specified that "provided if the application is submitted along with the requisite clearance from other departments stipulated under these rules for grant of license along with the fee specified in the Schedule II, the President of the Grama Panchayat shall issue the licence applied for within seven days from the date of receipt of the application along with the requisite clearanc