P. Annakamu vs. The District Collector

Facts

The petitioner, P. Annakamu, filed a writ petition seeking a Mandamus to direct the District Collector and Tahsildar of Dindigul District to provide particulars of survey number 844/6, situated at Kuvanuthu Village. The petitioner had made a representation on July 12, 2019, requesting specific documents related to this survey number, including its location, extent, owner's name, and details of its classification and revenue. The petitioner sought these documents for a period from 1973 to 1980. The respondents are the District Collector and the Tahsildar.

Held

The Court held that the petitioner could obtain the requested documents by filing an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005, and paying the necessary fees. The Court reasoned that issuing a Mandamus for such routine document procurement would unnecessarily involve revenue authorities, potentially affecting their primary duties and the smooth administration of government machinery. Therefore, the Court found it appropriate to dismiss the writ petition, directing the petitioner to pursue the matter through the RTI route if the documents are available with the concerned authorities. No costs were awarded.

Key Issues

1. Whether the High Court should issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the revenue authorities to furnish specific land particulars based on a representation, rather than an application under the Right to Information Act? The petitioner argued that they are entitled to receive the requested land particulars from the concerned authorities. The respondents, represented by the Additional Government Pleader, did not explicitly argue a specific point but were implicitly defending their position against the issuance of the writ. The Court, however, considered the nature of the request and the alternative remedy available to the petitioner.