Pending land allotment applications must be decided expeditiously with interim protection against coercive action until disposal.

The four petitioners, residents of Village Bindranawagarh, District Gariyaband, filed this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

They asserted that they are in possession of certain lands and sought a direction to the respondent authorities to allot said lands to them by way of patta (land deeds).

During the proceedings, both the counsel for the petitioners and the State submitted that the subject matter of the dispute was identical to a previously decided matter involving similar grievances regarding land allotment.

1. Whether the petitioners are entitled to the same relief and procedural directions as granted by the High Court in the case of Aasbai and others vs. State of Chhattisgarh and others regarding the consideration of land allotment applications.

The Court applied the principle of judicial parity and consistency, relying specifically on its own recent precedent in Aasbai and others vs. State of Chhattisgarh and others (WPC No. 1938/2026), decided on 23.04.2026.

where an application for land allotment is pending before revenue authorities, the Collector is duty-bound to consider and decide such applications in accordance with law within a reasonable timeframe, while protecting the petitioners from coercive action during the pendency of the deliberation.

The Court noted the consensus between the petitioners’ counsel and the Deputy Government Advocate that the merits and grievances of the instant case were squarely covered by the judgment in Aasbai and others.

By adopting the findings of the previous case, the Court reasoned that the petitioners should be granted the liberty to submit fresh representations to the Collector.

The Court linked the right to a fair hearing with a time-bound administrative review, directing the Collector to adjudicate the claim within 60 days of submission.

To maintain the status quo and prevent irreparable injury while the legal process is underway, the Court applied the protective measure formulated in the precedent, barring coercive steps against the petitioners until a formal decision is reached.

The Collector, Gariyaband, is directed to decide the petitioners' pending applications expeditiously.

The petitioners are granted liberty to file a detailed representation within 15 days, which must be decided by the Collector within a further 60 days in accordance with law.

Crucially, the Court ordered that no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioners until the decision on the application is finalized.

No order as to costs was made.