Jhuma Nandi v. The State of Assam and 12 Ors. E

ORDER

24.01.2023 [N. Kotiswar Singh, CJ(Acting)] Heard Mr. M.H. Laskar, learned counsel for the appellants. Also heard Mr. N. Das, learned Government Advocate, Assam, appearing for respondent Nos.2 and 3 and Mr. N.K. Debnath, learned standing counsel, P&RD, appearing for respondent Nos.1, 4 and 5.

¶2Considering the nature of this case, we are of the view that the matter can be disposed of at this stage without issuing any formal notice and also without directly interfering with the impugned order dated 02.03.2022 as we are not going into the legality of the issues raised.

¶3The fact remains, as also admitted by the learned counsel for the appellants that the post of President of the Office of the President of No.70 Binnakandi Gaon Panchayat under Binnakandi Anchalik Panchayat, District-Cachar had become vacant on account of removal of the present appellant No.1 as the President due to a no confidence motion carried out against him on 07.08.2021.

¶4Though the said no confidence motion was the subject matter of challenge before this Court in WP(C) No.1138/2022 and also before us now, learned counsel for the appellants submits that he will be satisfied if a direction is issued to the concerned authorities to hold election for the post of President in terms of Section 10(1) of the Assam Panchayat Act, 1994 (in short "Act"), as vacancy to the post of President in the office of the President is to be filled Page No.# 6/7 up as provided thereunder. Section 10(1) of the Act reads as follows:-"10. Election of President and Vice-President of Gaon Panchayat-

(1) After the election of the President of the Gaon Panchayat under Section 6(1)(b) and the Vice-President under Section 6(3) if any vacancy occurs by reason of death, resignation or removal in the office of the President or the Vice-President as the case may be, the Gaon Panchayat shall elect the President under Section 6(1)(b) or the Vice-President under Section 6(3) as the case may be: Provided that no election shall be held if the vacancy is for a period of less than one month."

¶5It has been submitted at the Bar that the term of the said Gaon Panchayat is upto December, 2023 and as such, there about 11 months left, in which event, the bar provided under the proviso to Section 10(1) will not apply, wherein it has been provided that no election shall be held if the vacancy is for a period of less than one month.

¶6Under the circumstances, as submitted by the learned counsel for the appellants, we direct the official respondents, more particularly, the respondent No.1 to do the needful for election of the President in terms of Section 10(1) of the Assam Panchayat Act, 1994 without any further delay, preferably within a period of 1(one) month from today.

¶7With the above observation and direction, the present appeal stands disposed of. Sd/- Soumitra Saikia JUDGE Sd/- N. Kotiswar Singh CHIEF JUSTICE (ACTING) Page No.# 7/7 Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/7 GAHC010163512022 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWA/329/2022o JHUMAoNANDIo W/OoBINOYoNANADI,oPRESIDENT,oBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONo PANCHAYAT,oR/OoVILL-oBINNAKANDIoGRANToPART-I,oP.O.-BINNAKANDIo TEAoESTATE,oDIST-CACHAR,oASSAM,oPIN-788126 2:oRABIoSHANKARoBAURI oS/OoLATEoSUSHILoBAURI oMEMBER oWARDoNO.o2 oBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONoPANCHAYAT oR/OoVILL-BINNAKANDIoGRANToPART-I oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoTEAoESTATE oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 3:oMD.oNURULoALAM oS/OoMD.oANARoALI oMEMBER oWARDoNO.o7 oBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONoPANCHAYAT oR/OoVILL-KHALKURIo(HATIGURIoGRANT) oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoTEAoESTATE oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 4:oSANJOYoBAURI oS/OoLATEoANILoBAURI oMEMBER oWARDoNO.o04 oBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONoPANCHAYAT oR/OoVILL-oBINNAKANDIoGRANToPART-I oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoTEAoESTATE PageoNo.#o2/7 oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 5:oAMIToKUMARoBAURI oS/OoSRIoPURNAoBAURI oMEMBER oWARDoNO.o05 oBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONoPANCHAYAT oR/OoVILL-BINNAKANDIoGRANToPART-I oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoTEAoESTATE oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 6:oSMTIoNANDAoLOHAR oW/OoSRIoIMONoLOHAR oMEMBER oWARDoNO.o03 oBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONoPANCHAYAT oR/OoVILL-BINNAKANDIoGRANToPART-I oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoTEAoESTATE oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM oPIN-78812o VERSUSo THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo12oORS.oEo TOoBEoREPRESENTEDoBYoTHEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEo GOVT.oOFoASSAM,oDEPARTMENToOFoPANCHAYAToANDoRURALo DEVELOPMENT,oDISPUR,oGUWAHATI,oASSAM,oPIN-781006 2:THEoDEPUTYoCOMMISSIONER oCACHAR oSILCHAR oPIN-788001 3:THEoSUB-DIVISIONALoOFFICERo(CIVIL) oLAKHIPUR oP.O.-LAKHIPUR oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM 4:THEoCHIEFoEXECUTIVEoOFFICER oCACHARoZILLAoPARISHAD oCACHAR oSILCHAR PageoNo.#o3/7 oP.O.oANDoP.S.-SILCHAR oPIN-788001 oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM 5:THEoBLOCKoDEVELOPMENToOFFICER oBINNAKANDIoDEVELOPMENToBLOCK oCUMoEXECUTIVEoOFFICER oBINNAKANDIoANCHALIKoPANCHAYAT oVILLoANDoP.O.-BINNAKANDI oDIST-oCACHAR oPIN-788120 6:THEoSECRETARY oBINNAKANDIoANCHALIKoPANCHAYAT oBINNAKANDIoDEVELOPMENToBLOCK oVILL-KRISHNANAGAR oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoT.E. oDIST-oCACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 7:THEoPRESIDENT oBINNAKANDIoANCHALIKoPANCHAYAT oBINNAKANDIoDEVELOPMENToBLOCK oVILL-oKRISHNANAGAR oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoT.E. oDIST-oCACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 8:THEoSECRETARYoNO.o70oBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONoPANCHAYAT oVILLoANDoP.O.-BINNAKANDIoTE oP.S.-oLAKHIPUR oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 9:SMTIoSWAPNAoSUTRADHAR oW/OoSRIoALLADoSUTRADHAR oMEMBER oWARDoNO.o01oOFoBINNAKANDIoBAGANoGAONoPANCHAYAT oR/OoVILL-KALAPOOL oP.O.-BINNAKANDIoTEAoESTATE oDIST-CACHAR oASSAM oPIN-788126 Page No.# 4/7 10:SMTI SEBA BEGUM BARBHUIYA W/O AKTAR HUSSAIN MEMBER WARD NO. 08 OF BINNAKANDI BAGAN GAON PANCHAYAT R/O VILL-KAPTANPUR PART-XII P.O.-BINNAKANDI TEA ESTATE DIST-CACHAR ASSAM PIN-788126 11:SMTI RIYA DAS W/O SUBIR DAS MEMBER WARD NO. 09 OF BINNAKANDI BAGAN GAON PANCHAYAT R/O VILL-SWASTIPALLY P.O.-BINNAKANDI TEA ESTATE DIST-CACHAR ASSAM PIN-788126 12:SMTI SAPTAMI DEB D/O LATE BIPUL DEB MEMBER WARD NO. 10 OF BINNAKANDI BAGAN GAON PANCHAYAT R/O VILL-ALICHERA P.O.-BINNAKANDI TEA ESTATE DIST-CACHAR ASSAM PIN-788126 13:SMTI RABANI BAURI W/O SHANKAR BAURI MEMBER WARD NO. 06 OF BINNAKANDI BAGAN GAON PANCHAYAT R/O VILL-BINNAKANDI GRANT PART-I P.O.-BINNAKANDI TEA ESTATE DIST-CACHAR ASSAM PIN-78812 Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. S ROY Advocate for the Respondent : SC, P AND R.D. Page No.# 5/7 BEFORE HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE (ACTING) MR. N. KOTISWAR SINGH HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SOUMITRA SAIKIA