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I N THE HI GH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD

THE HON’BLE MRS. JUSTI CE SUREPALLI NANDA

WRI T PETI TI ON No.8807 of 2026

DATE: 25.03.2026

BETWEEN :

Primary Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society Ltd.

… Petitioner

And

The State of Telangana, Fisheries Department Hyderabad & 4 others

…. Respondents

O R D E R

Heard Sri Satya Sadhan Chalamalla, learned

counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Fisheries appearing on behalf of Respondent Nos.1, 2, 4 and 5 and learned Government Pleader for Revenue appearing on behalf

of Respondent No.3.

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2. The petitioner approached this Court seeking the

prayer as under:

“…to issue a Writ, Order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the Respondents in permitting non-locals to carry on fishing activities in the tanks situated in Gumdal Village, Doma Mandal, Vikarabad District, without considering the claim of the Petitioner Society as illegal, arbitrary, violation of principles of natural justice and further violation of Article 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the constitution of India and consequently direct the Respondents to grant preference to the Petitioner Society in allotment of fishing rights by considering the Petitioner’s representation dated

23.06.2025 and pass such other order…”

3. The case of the petitioner, in brief, is that the petitioner is a registered Primary Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society (Regd. No. VKB-34/2023), representing 40 traditional fishermen of Gumdal Village. The petitioner society was formed to carry on fishing and allied activities for livelihood. The members of the society depend solely on fishing in seven tanks spread over approximately 120 acres in the village. On 23.06.2025 the petitioner submitted a representation to Respondent No.5 seeking preference in the allotment of

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fishing rights in these tanks. However, the authorities failed to consider the said representation and, instead, permitted non- local third parties to undertake fishing activities. Aggrieved by the same, the petitioner has approached this Court by filing

the present writ petition.

4. PERUSED THE RECORD.

DI SCUSSI ON AND CONCLUSI ON :

5. The learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner mainly contends that the petitioner vide representation dated 23.06.2025 addressed to the 5^th respondent made a request to give preference to the petitioner’s society for Catching, Marketing and Selling fish from seven fishing tanks spread across 120 Acres in Gumdal Village. Though the said representation of the petitioner dated 23.05.2025 had been acknowledged by the office of the 5^th respondent herein, no further orders had been passed as on date. It is the specific case of the petitioner that the respondents are permitting non locals for catching, marketing and selling the fish and the same had been denied to the petitioner’s society herein. The learned counsel appearing on

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behalf of the petitioner further contends that the priority of first preference for catching, marketing and selling the fish from seven tanks spread across 120 Acres in Gumdal Village should be given to the petitioner’s society which is located locally and not to non local third parties hence, the petitioner is entitled for grant of the relief as prayed for in the present

writ petition.

6. The learned Assistant Government Pleader brings on record the w ritten instructions dated 25.03.2026 of the District Fisheries Officer, Vikarabad District and the relevant portion of the said instructions are extracted

hereunder:

“It is submitted that though the Petitioner Society has made a representation dated 23.06.2025 requesting preference to the Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society (Reg.No.VKB-34/2023), the actual fishing activities in the tanks situated in Gumdal Village have always been carried out by the fishermen belonging to Fish