The court directed the grant of fishing rights to the petitioner society for the year 2025-26 based on a government memo permitting the continuation of allotments, provided the society pays the required lease amounts and undertakes to pay enhanced rentals.

ORDER:

Heard Smt. M.Vidyavathi, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner and learned Assistant Government Pleader for Fisheries appearing on behalf of the respondents.

2. The petitioner approached the Court seeking prayer as under:

“….to issue a Writ or Writs, Order or Direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the 3rd Respondent for not granting lease/ fishing order to Fishermen Cooperative Society, Hasnabad Village, Kodangal Mandal for the year 2025-26 on payment of lease amount is bad arbitrary and contrary to G.O.Ms.No.776, dated 31.12.1990 and also offends Arts 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution of India and to pass.…”

3. The case of the petitioner in brief as per the averments made in the affidavit filed by the petitioner in support of the present writ petition is as under:

The petitioner society was registered in the year 1978 under the T.C.S. Act, 1964 with Registration No. 847, consisting of 98 members depending on fishing rights for their livelihood. Since its inception, the respondent authorities have been consistently granting fishing rights to the petitioner society in respect of various rain-fed tanks with a total water spread area of 196 acres, as per G.O.Ms.No.776 dated 31.12.1990 read with G.O.Ms.No.74 dated 21.10.2011, upon payment of lease amounts. The General Body of the society has also been passing resolutions annually for payment of lease amounts to obtain fishing rights. However, for the fishing year 2025–26, the 3rd respondent failed to grant lease/fishing rights without assigning any reasons. The petitioner had submitted a representation dated 26.03.2026 requesting grant of lease and permission to remit lease amount, but no action had been taken. Aggrieved by the inaction of the 3rd respondent, the petitioner had approached this court by filing the present writ petition.

4. PERUSED THE RECORD

The Memo No.2187/ F/ A2/ 2021, dated 18.04.2026 issued by the Government of Telangana, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Dev.& Fisheries (F) Department addressed to the Director of Fisheries, Hyderabad is extracted hereunder:-

“ In the circumstances reported by the Director of Fisheries, Hyderabad in the reference 4th cited and after careful examination of the matter, Government hereby accord permission to continuing the allotment of fishing rights to the above 100 acres aycut water bodies with the last year (Fasli i.e. 2023-24) rentals for one year ie. Fasli (01.07.2025 to 30.06.2026) as the intensive harvest season is in peak stage, subject to condition that an unconditional under taking shall be obtained from primary fisheries cooperative societies to the effect that they shall pay the enhanced rental as and when communicated by the Government

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:-

5. The learned Assistant Government Pleader for Fisheries appearing on behalf of the respondents brings on record the Memo No.2187/ F/ A2/ 2021, dated 18.04.2026 issued by the Government of Telangana, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Dev.& Fisheries (F) Department and contends that the grievance of the petitioner had already been addressed to the Government, and Government had accorded permission for continuing the allotment of fishing rights to the above 100 acres ayacut water bodies with the last year (Fasli i.e. 2023-24) rentals for one year i.e. Fasli (01.07.2025 to 30.06.2026) as the intensive harvest season is in peak stage, subject to condition that an unconditional undertaking shall be obtained from primary fisheries co-operative societies to the effect that they shall pay the enhanced rental as and when communicated by the Government.

6. Learned counsel