G. Subrahmanyam Naidu vs The Commissioner Of Endowments And Anr. on 4 April, 2003
18. When a statutory authority is acting in accordance with law, no mandamus can be issued declaring such action invalid. As observed by the Supreme Court in State of A.P. v. Nallamilli Rami Reddy (supra), it is a matter for the authorities to consider whether or not a person in occupation of the land is entitled to the benefit under Section 82 (2) of the Endowment Act. Indeed, the petitioner, in the affidavit accompanying the writ petition, in A.T.C. No. 1 of 1990, in O.A. No. 3 of 2000 before the Deputy Commissioner, and in O.S. No. 43 of 2002 before the Court of the Senior Civil Judge, Puttur, and even in his latest application dated 3-9-2002, admits that he is not in possession of Acs.3.79 cents. The impugned notification was issued prescribing the land as wet land, in which event the petitioner would not fall within the definition of landless poor person as per explanation to sub-section (2) of Section 82 of the Endowment Act. The contention of the respondents that it is a wet land is not specifically denied in any of the pleadings. However, across the Bar, an effort is made to show that it is a dry land and not wet land and in the alternative, it was submitted that most of the land has been encroached by others and the petitioner is in possession of the land admeasuring less than Acs.2.50 cents. Going by the pleadings of the petitioner before various courts and various authorities including his latest representation dated 3-9-2002, prima facie, it must be held that the petitioner is in possession of land admeasuring Acs.3.79 cents in Sy. Nos. 247/4, 247/6 and 248/2 of Govindapalem in Puttur town which is a wet land. He is, therefore, not entitled to the benefit under Section 82(1) of the Endowment Act.