Shahenara Benun and 18 Ors v. The State of Assam and 7 Ors

PageoNo.#o1/8 GAHC010026892023 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWP(C)/907/2023o SHAHENARAoBENUNoANDo18oORSo W/O-oALOMoKHAN,oAGEDoABOUTo48oYEARS,oR/OoVILLAGEoSUNDARPARAo PT-I,oP.O-oJAMADARHAT,oP.SoFAKIRGANJ,oDIST.oDHUBRI,oASSAM.oPIN-783330. 2:oJELoHOQUE oS/OoLT.oSHIRAMoUDDINoR/OoVILLAGEoTARANGAJHAR oP.O-oJAMADARHAT oP.SoFAKIRGANJ oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783330 3:oNURoBHANU oW/O-oHOBIBARoRAHMAN oR/OoVILLAGEoMOIRAKUCHIoPT-I oP.O-oAIRKATA oP.SoFAKIRGANJ oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783330 4:oSOFIAoSULTANA oW/O-oHOBIBARoRAHMAN oAGEDoABOUTo48oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoDINGDINGA oP.O-oCHIRAKUTI oP.SoFAKIRGANJ oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783330 5:oMOHAMMADoSOKER oS/O-oLATEoFOZORoALI oAGEDoABOUTo49oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoGODAIRVITA oP.O-oMEDORTARY PageoNo.#o2/8 oP.SoFAKIRGANJ oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783330 6:oKABELoKAZI oS/O-oLATEoHAKIMoKAZI oAGEDoABOUTo55oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoPRAVITA oP.O-oJAMADARHAT oP.SoFAKIRGANJ oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783330 7:oMAYURIoKHATUN oW/O-oMADARIoSK oAGEDoABOUTo43oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoAND oP.O-oMEDORTARY oP.SoFAKIRGANJ oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783330 8:oROMISAoKHATUNoBIBI oW/O-oJULoMOHAMMADoSK oAGEDoABOUTo51oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoJHALERoALGAoPT-I oP.O-oSOUTHoGERAMARI oP.SoGOURIPUR oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783331 9:oAHADoALIoSK oS/O-oLATEoNOWSHADoALIoSK oAGEDoABOUTo54oYEARS oR/OoANDoP.O-oALOMGANJ oP.SoGOURIPUR oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783331 10:oFIROZAoBEGUM oW/O-oLUTFORoRAHMAN oAGEDoABOUTo53oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoMATIABUG oP.O-oANDoP.SoGOURIPUR oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783331 11:oUSUFAoKHATUN PageoNo.#o3/8 oW/O-oFOMIRoUDDINoSK oAGEDoABOUTo54oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoGERAMARIoPT-I oP.O-oGERAMARI oP.SoGOURIPUR oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783331 12:oZAKIRoHUSSAIN oS/O-oABDUSoSAMADoSK oAGEDoABOUTo43oYEARS oR/OoANDoP.O-oTISTARPAR oP.SoANDoDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783324 13:oRUBINAoKHATUN oW/O-oROFIQULoHOQUE oAGEDoABOUTo31oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoSASTARGHAToPT-II oP.O-oPATAMARIT oP.SoANDoDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783324 14:oWAHIDAoPARVIN oW/O-oNAIBoALI oAGEDoABOUTo35oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoGASPARA oP.O-oDHARMASALA oP.SoANDoDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783324 15:oMOSLEMAoBIBI oW/O-oJOYNALoABEDIN oAGEDoABOUTo50oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoADABARIoPT-I oP.O-oSAGALCHARA oP.SoANDoDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783324 16:oMOINULoHOQUEoBEPARI oS/O-oLATEoPADUoSKoBEPARI oAGEDoABOUTo49oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoBINNACHARAoPT-II oP.O-oBALADOBA oP.SoGOLAKGANJ oDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM. PageoNo.#o4/8 17:oALTAFoHUSSAIN oS/O-oAKBARoALI oAGEDoABOUTo45oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoCHAGALCHARoPT-I oP.O-oHOWRARPARA oP.SoANDoDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783324 18:oMONOWARAoBIBI oW/O-oSHAHJAHANoALI oAGEDoABOUTo50oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoKALAPAKNIoPT-II oP.O-oPATAMARI oP.SoANDoDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783324 19:oJAHIDAoBEGUM oW/O-oSAHABULoALOMo oAGEDoABOUTo32oYEARS oR/OoVILLAGEoBORBILAoPT-I oP.O-oHOWRARPAR oP.SoANDoDIST.oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783324o VERSUSo THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo7oORSo TOoBEoREPRESENTEDoBYoTHEoPRINCIPALoSECRETARYoTOoTHEo GOVERNMENToOFoASSAM,oPANCHAYAToANDoRURALoDEVELOPMENTo DEPARTMENT,oASSAM,oDISPUR,oGUWAHATI-6 2:THEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARY oTOoTHEoGOVERNMENToOFoASSAM oFINANCEoDEPARTMENT oASSAM oDISPUR oGUWAHATI-6. 3:THEoCOMMISSIONER oPANCHAYAToANDoRURALoDEVELOPMENT oASSAMoPANJABARI oJURIPAR oGUWAHATI-37. 4:THEoDEPUTYoCOMMISSIONER oDHUBRI oP.O-oDHUBRI oDIST-oDHUBRI PageoNo.#o5/8 oASSAM.oPIN-o783301. 5:THEoCHIEFoEXECUTIVEoOFFICER oDHUBRIoZILAoPARISHAD oDHUBRI oP.OoANDoDIST-oDHUBRI oASSAM.oPIN-783301. 6:THEoJAMADARHAToANCHALIKoPANCHAYAT oREPRESENTEDoBYoEXECUTIVEoOFFICERoCUMoBLOCKoDEVELOPMENTo OFFICER oJAMADARHAToDEVELOPMENToBLOCK oP/O-oJAMADARHAT oDIST-oDHUBRI oASSAM. 7:THEoDEBITOLAoANCHALIKoPANCHAYAT oREPRESENTEDoBYoEXECUTIVEoOFFICERoCUMoBLOCKoDEVELOPMENTo OFFICER oDEBITOLAoDEVELOPMENToBLOCK oP/O-oODALBAKRA oDIST-oDHUBRI oASSAM. 8:THEoGOURIPURoANCHALIKoPANCHAYAT oREPRESENTEDoBYoEXECUTIVEoOFFICERoCUMoBLOCKoDEVELOPMENTo OFFICER oGOURIPURoDEVELOPMENToBLOCK oP/O-oGOURIPUR oDIST-oDHUBRI oASSAMo AdvocateoforotheoPetitionerooooo:oM.oHOSSAINo AdvocateoforotheoRespondento:oSC,oPoANDoR.D.oo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo BEFORE HONOURABLEoMR.oJUSTICEoSUMANoSHYAM ORDERo

11.08.2023 Heard Mr. M. Hussain, learned counsel for the petitioners. Also heard Mr. P. Handique, learned Standing Counsel, P & RD Department, Assam appearing for Page No.# 6/8 the respondent Nos.1, 3 and 5 to 8, Mr. B.Gogoi, learned Standing Counsel, Finance Department, Assam appearing for respondent No.2 and Mr. N. Goswami, learned Govt. Advocate, Assam appearing for the respondent No.4. The writ petitioners herein have joined together to approach this Court by filing the instant writ petition inter-alia contending that they have not been paid remuneration for the duties rendered by them as President and Vice-President of Anchalik Panahayat. Mr. Hussain submits that the petitioners' case is covered by the judgment and order dated 04.01.2023 passed by the learned Single Judge of this Court in WP(C) No.3662/2018 and the batch of connected writ petitions and therefore, the instant writ petition be also disposed of in the light of the said judgment. The learned departmental counsel have also submitted that the instant case is covered by the earlier decision of this Court and therefore, the writ petition be disposed of accordingly. Mr. B. Gogoi, learned Standing Counsel, Finance Department, however, submits that the respondents be directed to verify the claim of each of the petitioners before initiating the steps for release of their remuneration. By taking note of similar grievance expressed by the petitioners in WP(C) No.3662/20-18 and the batch of connected writ petitions, the learned Single Judge had passed the judgment and order dated 04.01.2023 by making the following observations :- "39. Under such circumstances, this Court, therefore, directs the State of Assam, and more particularly, the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat and Rural Development Department to verify the claims of the petitioners as regards their respective Page No.# 7/8 entitlements only in so far as the quantum is concerned and upon verification, to make payment to the petitioners as per their entitlement. For the purpose of making payment, if there is requirement to take necessary concurrence from the other authorities like the Finance Department, the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat and Rural Development Department shall do the needful.

¶40The Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Finance Department shall also do the needful so that the entitlements of the petitioners are paid by according necessary approval and releasing funds. It is made clear that the directions passed herein are directions upon the State Government to pay dues to the petitioners in the batch of writ petitions. It shall be the collective responsibility of the State Government to see to it that the dues of the petitioners are released to them within the time stipulated herein under.

¶41Taking into account the decision taken in the review meeting on

06.06.2021 by the Chief Minister of Assam, the Government of Assam would be at liberty to pay the entitlement to the petitioners at one go or in installments as per the administrative and financial convenience.

¶42It is, however, made clear that the entire exercise has to be done by the State Government in its Departments to make payment to the petitioners within a period of 6 (six) months from the date copy of the instant judgment is served upon the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat and Rural development Department and the Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Finance Department with their respective claims. Page No.# 8/8

¶43With the above observations and directions, the batch of writ petitions stand disposed of." In view of the stand taken by the learned counsel for the respondents, this writ petition is also disposed of by providing that the petitioners' cases be also processed in the light of the judgment and order dated 04.01.2023 and their unpaid dues be released upon due verification of the claim of each of the petitioners. With the above observation, the writ petition stands closed.

JUDGE Comparing Assistant