Dr Pankaj Kumar Roy v. The State of Assam and 12 Ors F

PageoNo.#o1/6 GAHC010164622023 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWA/420/2023o DR.oPANKAJoKUMARoROYo IN-CHARGE,oPRINCIPAL/SECRETARY,oUTTARoKAMPITHoMAHAVIDYALAYA (SR.),oS/OoLATEoGIRISHoCH.oROY,oVILL.-oJAGARA,oP.O.oANDoP.S.-oJAGARA,o DIST.-oNALBARI,oASSAM,oPINo-o781310. VERSUSo

1.THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo3oORSoBo REP.oBYoTHEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM,o HIGHERoEDUCATIONoDEPARTMENT,oDISPUR,oGUWAHATIo-o781006,oASSAM. 2:THEoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oHIGHERoEDUCATIONoDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATIo-o781006oASSAM. 3:THEoDIRECTOR,oHIGHERoEDUCATIONoASSAM oKAHILIPARAoGUWAHATI-o781019oASSAM. 4:UTTARoKAMPITHoMAHAVIDYALAYAo(SR.) oREP.oBYoITSoPRESIDENToOFoTHEoGOVERNINGoBODYoOFoTHEoCOLLEGE oSHRIoKANAKoKANTAoDEKA oP.O.oJAGARAoDIST.oNALBARIoASSAMoPINo-o781310o oLinkedoCaseo:oI.A.(Civil)/2145/2024 DR.oPANKAJoKUMARoROY IN-CHARGEoPRINCIPAL/SECRETARY oUTTARoKAMPITHoMAHAVIDYALAYAo(SR.) oS/OoLATEoGIRISHoCH.oROY oVILL.-oJAGARAoP.O.oANDoP.S.-oJAGARA oDIST.-oNALBARIoASSAMoPINo-o781310. oVERSUS PageoNo.#o2/6

1.THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo3oORS REP.oBYoTHEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oHIGHERoEDUCATIONoDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATIo-o781006oASSAM. 2:THEoSECRETARYTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oHIGHERoEDUCATIONoDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATIo-o781006oASSAM. o3:THEoDIRECTORoHIGHERoEDUCATIONoASSAM oKAHILIPARAoGUWAHATI-o781019oASSAM. o4:UTTARoKAMPITHoMAHAVIDYALAYAo(SR.) REP.oBYoITSoPRESIDENToOFoTHEoGOVERNINGoBODYoOFoTHEoCOLLEGE oSHRIoKANAKoKANTAoDEKA oP.O.oJAGARAoDIST.oNALBARIoASSAMoPINo-o781310. LinkedoCaseo:oWA/419/2023 DRoPANKAJoKUMARoROY IN-CHARGE,oPRINCIPAL/SECRETARY oUTTARoKAMPITHoMAHAVIDYALAYAo(SR.) oS/OoLATEoGIRISHoCH.oROY oVILL.-oJAGARAoP.O.oANDoP.S.-oJAGARA oDIST.oNALBARIo(ASSAM)oPINo-o781310. oVERSUS

1.THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo12oORSoF REP.oBYoTHEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oHIGHERoEDUCATIONoDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATI-o781006oASSAM. 2:THEoDIRECTOR HIGHERoEDUCATIONoASSAM oKAHILIPARAoGUWAHATI-o781019oASSAM. o3:THEoDEPUTYoCOMMISSIONER NALBARI-CUM-CHAIRMAN oDISTRICToSCRUTINYoCOMMITTEE oNALBARIoASSAMoPINo-o781335. o4:THEoINSPECTORoOFoSCHOOLS NALBARI-CUM-MEMBERoSECRETARY oDISTRICToSCRUTINYoCOMMITTEE oNALBARIASSAMoPINo-o781335. PageoNo.#o3/6 o5:THEoHEADMASTER GANGAPUKHURIoBARKURIHAoHIGHoSCHOOL oP.O.oBARKURIHAoDIST.oNALBARI oASSAMoPINo-781348. o6:THEoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM FINANCEoESTABLISHMENTo(B)oDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATI-o781006oASSAM. o7:THEoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOV.ToOFoASSAM PENSIONoandoPUBLICoGRIEVANCESoDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATI-781006oASSAM. o8:THEoSUPERINTENDENToOFoPOLICEoNALBARI oDIST.oNALBARIoASSAMoPINo-o781335. o9:THEoADDL.oDIRECTORoGENERALoOFoPOLICE VIGILANCEoANDoANTIoCORRUPTIONoASSAM oSRIMANTAPURoGUWAHATIoPINo-o781032. o10:THEoSECONDARYoEDUCATIONoBOARDoOFoASSAMo(SEBA) REP.oBYoITSoSECRETARY oBAMUNIMAIDAMoDIST.oKAMRUPo(METRO) oASSAMoPINo-o781022. o11:DR.oTARUNoSARMA S/OoLATEoRAMoCHANDRAoSARMAoR/OoVILL-oBIDYAPUR oBYEoLANEoNO.o7oNEARoMNCoBALIKAoMAHAoBIDYALAYAoP.O.NALBARIoP.S.o NALBARIoDIST.oNALBARIoASSAMoPINo-o781335. o12:THEoBRANCHoMANAGER STATEoBANKoOFoINDIAoNALBARIoBRANCH oP.O.oANDoP.S.oNALBARIoDIST.NALBARI oASSAMoPINo-o781335. o13:UTTARoKAMPITHoMAHAVIDYALAYAo(SR.) REP.oBYoITSoPRESIDENToOFoTHEoGOVERNINGoBODYoOFoTHEoCOLLEGE oSHRIoKAMALAoKANTAoDEKAoP.O.oJAGARAoDIST.-oNALBARI oASSAMoPINo-781310. o ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo For1the1Appellant/Applicant11111111:111111111Ms.1J.1Bezbaruah,1Advocate. For1the1Respondent(s)11 111111111: 111111111 Mr.1S.1Das,1Standing1Counsel,1Higher1Education Department. :111111111 Mr.1P.K.1Roy,1Senior1Advocate1assisted1by1Mr.1S.K. Chakraborty, 1 Advocate 1 and 1 Mr. 1 B. 1 Das, 1 Advocate 1 for Page No.# 4/6 respondent No.11 in WA No.419/2023. : Mr. N. Das, Government Advocate, Assam for respondent Nos.3, 7, 8 & 9 in WA No.419/2023. : Mr. A. Chaliha, Standing Counsel, Finance Department for respondent No.6 in WA No.419/2023.

– BEFORE – HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. VIJAY BISHNOI HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KARDAK ETE

21.08.2024 (Vijay Bishnoi, CJ)

WA No.420/2023 is filed by the appellant being aggrieved with the order dated 17.03.2023 passed by the learned Single Judge in WP(C) No.4074/2016, whereby the learned Single Judge had dismissed the writ petition and directed the respondents to take steps for appointment of regular Principal of Uttar Kampith Mahavidyala (Sr.), if they so desire.

¶2Pursuant to the above direction given by the learned Single Judge vide order dated 17.03.2023, the Director of Higher Education, Assam vide Notification dated 06.07.2024 in reference to the Notification dated 29.02.2024 allowed the Principal/President of Governing Body of the Colleges concerned to publish advertisement and to complete the selection process for appointment to the post of regular Principal in respect of colleges as per list enclosed wherein the name of Uttar Kampith College is reflected at Serial No.10.

¶3The appellant/applicant has preferred I.A.(Civil) No.2145/2024 seeking stay upon the said Notification dated 06.07.2024 in reference to the Government Letter dated 29.02.2024.

¶4WA No.419/2023 is filed by the appellant being aggrieved with the order Page No.# 5/6 dated 17.03.2023 passed by the learned Single Judge in WP(C) No.977/2016, whereby the writ petition was closed.

¶5In WP(C) No.4074/2016, the appellant made a prayer before the writ court for setting aside and quashing the impugned order dated 27.06.2016 issued by the Director of Higher Education, Assam whereby the President of Governing Body of Uttar Kampith Mahavidyalaya was also directed to publish advertisement and complete the selection process for the post of regular Principal in the said college. The appellant also prayed that the respondents be directed to consider the representation dated 02.07.2016 filed by him before Director, Higher Education, Assam.

¶6In WP(C) No.977/2016, the appellant prayed that direction be issued to the respondents for setting aside the provincialisation order dated 20.01.2014, issued by the Director of Higher Education, Assam whereby the services of respondent No.11 in WA No.419, Dr. Tarun Sarma, were provincialised. The appellant had also challenged the appointment of said Dr. Tarun Sarma as Principal of the Uttar Kampith Mahavidyala (Sr.). Certain other relief such as recovery of salary paid to Dr. Tarun Sarma/respondent No.11 etc. had also been prayed.

¶7The learned Single Judge, after hearing the learned counsel for the parties, has disposed of the WP(C) No.977/2016 vide impugned order dated

17.03.2023 mainly on the ground that the issue regarding provincialisation of the services of Dr. Tarun Sarma and his appointment as Principal need not be taken into consideration on account of the fact that the said person has already superannuated on 31.12.2014. The learned Single Judge has also taken into consideration the fact regarding the issue of fake certificate of HSLC Examination possessed by Dr. Tarun Sarma, a criminal case has already been Page No.# 6/6 filed and the same is pending adjudication before the competent Criminal Court.

¶8The learned Single Judge, while taking into consideration the above referred facts and circumstances of the case, has dismissed WP(C) No.4074/2016 and closed WP(C) No.977/2016.

¶9Having gone through the material available on record and after taking into consideration the fact that the person whose provincialisation of services and appointment on the post of Principal in the above referred Mahavidyala were under challenge, has already superannuated, we do not find any case for interference with the impugned orders passed by the learned Single Judge.

¶10Since the post of Principal of the aforesaid Mahavidyala is lying vacant, we are also in agreement with the learned Single Judge that the respondents should initiate the process for appointment of regular Principal of the said Mahavidyala. In such circumstances, no case for interference is made out. Accordingly, WA No.420/2023 and 419/2023 are dismissed. Resultantly, I.A.(Civil) No.2145/2024 filed by the appellant/applicant in WA No.420/2023 is also disposed of. Needless to say that if the appellant applies for appointment to the post of regular Principal of the aforesaid Mahavidyala pursuant to the advertisement issued by the respondents, his case shall be considered strictly in accordance with law.

JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE

Comparing Assistant