Hyderabad: Justice E.V. Venugopal of the Telangana High Court reiterated that quasi-judicial authorities must provide reasons while deciding applications, observing that non-speaking orders violate the principles of natural justice. The judge was hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by M. Satish Chary and others, who challenged the rejection of their applications seeking correction of land records under TM-33 (Passbook Data Correction) for Ac. 15-17 guntas in Survey No. 99 of Mamidipally village, Balapur mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
The petitioners argued that the Ranga Reddy district collector rejected their applications without assigning any reasons and had adopted a mechanical approach contrary to the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbook Act, 2020. Senior counsel L. Ravichander submitted that the impugned order showed no application of mind and relied on Supreme Court rulings mandating reasoned adjudication by quasi-judicial authorities.
Recording the submissions and noting that the Collector’s order lacked reasons, the judge set aside the impugned order and directed the authorities to reconsider the applications afresh by giving a reasoned decision strictly in accordance with law.
