Bombay High Court

MAHENDRA DAYARAM LONARIversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH CHIEF SECRETARY AND ORS

Disposal: DISPOSED OFF
Bench: VIBHA KANKANWADI HITEN S VENEGAVKAR

Holding

The Court directed the Collector of Dhule to decide the proposal dated 04‑10‑2024 within twelve weeks from the date of the order.

Summary

The petitioner, Mahendra Dayaram Lonari, filed a writ petition seeking a direction to the Collector of Dhule to decide a proposal dated 04‑10‑2024, which had been forwarded by the Additional Tahsildar, Dondaicha. The respondent State, through its Advocate General, waived notice and, on instruction from the Collector, stated that the proposal would be decided within twelve weeks from the date of the hearing, treating this statement as an undertaking. The High Court examined whether such an undertaking could be enforced by a writ direction. Finding no substantive objection and noting the public interest in timely administrative action, the Court accepted the undertaking as a valid basis for a directive. Consequently, the Court ordered the Collector to decide the proposal within twelve weeks from the date of the order, thereby disposing of the petition.

Issues considered

Whether a High Court can issue a writ directing a public authority to decide a pending administrative proposal within a specified time frame
Whether an undertaking given by a public authority in response to a petition is enforceable as a direction

Subjects

administrative law
writ petition
public authority
direction
undertaking
time limit

Judgment

2026:BHC-AUG:12791-DB




                         IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                    BENCH AT AURANGABAD

                                WRIT PETITION NO. 3143 OF 2026

                                    Mahendra Dayaram Lonari
                                             VERSUS
                     The State Of Maharashtra Through Chief Secretary And Ors

           Mr. S. K. Tarek Mobin h/f Mr. A. R. Syed, Advocate for petitioner
           Mr. A. M. Phule, AGP for respondent Nos. 1 to 4

                                             CORAM : Smt. Vibha Kankanwadi &
                                                     Hiten S. Venegavkar, JJ.
                                             DATE      : 24th March, 2026

           PER COURT :-

           1.             Present petition has been filed for direction to respondent
           No. 3 Collector, Dhule to decide the proposal forwarded by the learned
           Additional Tahsildar, Dondaicha dated 04.10.2024.


           2.             Learned AGP waives notice for respondent Nos. 1 to 4, and
           upon instructions from respondent No. 3, makes a statement that the
           said proposal would be decided within a period of twelve (12) weeks
           from today. The said statement is taken as undertaking.


           3.             We dispose of the writ petition by directing respondent No. 3
           to decide the said proposal dated 04.10.2024 within a period of twelve
           (12) weeks from today.




           (Hiten S. Venegavkar, J.)                 (Smt. Vibha Kankanwadi, J.)

           B. S. Joshi




           1-WP-3143-2026.odt                                                     1 of 1

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