Probin Das and 6 Ors v. The State of Assam and 6 Ors

ORDER Date : 13-10-2023 Page No.# 4/5 Heard Mr. G.N. Sahewalla, learned Sr. counsel assisted by Ms. K. Bhattacharyya, learned counsel for the writ petitioners. Also heard Mr. N. Goswami, learned Govt. Advocate, Assam appearing for the respondent Nos. 1 to 4. The writ petitioners herein are the Ward Commissioners of Abhayapuri Municipal Board. They had earlier submitted a requisition for convening an emergent meeting so as to move no-confidence motion against the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman of the Abhayapuri Municipal Board, i.e. the respondent Nos. 5 and 6 respectively. However, since the request for convening the meeting made before the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), North Salmara, Abhayapuri, i.e. the respondent No. 3 had failed to evoke any response from the said authority, the petitioners have approached this Court by filing the instant writ petition, inter alia, contending that the inaction on the part of the respondent No. 3 is in clear contravention of the mandate of Section 43(3) of the Assam Municipal Act, 1956. Mr. Sahewalla submits that once a requisition is submitted by the Ward Commissioners, the respondent No. 3 would be duty bound to examine the same and take appropriate action in the matter in accordance with Assam Municipal Act, 1956. On instruction obtained from the concerned authority, Mr. Goswami, learned Govt. Advocate, Assam submits that the respondent No. 5, i.e. the Chairman has already tendered his resignation in the meantime and therefore, the requisition for convention of meeting insofar as the said respondent is concerned, does not survive at this point of time. Insofar as the requisition for convening a meeting to discuss the no-confidence motion proposed against the respondent No. 6 i.e. the Vice Chairman, Mr. Goswami submits that if a direction is issued by this Court, the concerned authority would take appropriate steps in the matter in accordance with law. Mr. Sahewalla, learned Sr. counsel for the writ petitioners is also agreeable to the said recourse. In view of the above and with the consent of the learned counsel for both the sides, this writ petition is hereby disposed of with a direction upon the respondent No. 3 to take appropriate steps in the matter as may per permissible under the Assam Municipal Page No.# 5/5 Act, 1956 so as to take the requisition submitted by the petitioners for convening a emergent meeting to discuss the no-confidence motion proposed against the respondent No. 6 to its logical end. Whatever be the proposed action, the same be initiated as expeditiously as possible, but not later than 02 weeks from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. Writ petition stands disposed of.

JUDGE GS Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/5 GAHC010205822023 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWP(C)/5510/2023o PROBINoDASoANDo6oORSo SONoOFoLATEoJITENDRAoNARAYANoDAS,o RESIDENToOFoWARDoNO.o6,o INoTHEoDISTRICToOFoBONGAIGAON,oASSAM-o783384. 2:oSUSHANTAoPODDAR oS/O-oLATEoNANIoGOPALoPODDAR o RESIDENToOFoWARDoNO.o7 o P.O.oANDoP.S.-oABHAYAPURI o INoTHEoDISTRICToOFoBONGAIGAON oASSAM-o783384. 3:oSARAJUoDEVI oW/O-oDR.oB.K.oSHARMA o RESIDENToOFoWARDoNO.o5 oABHAYAPURIoMUNICIPALoBOARDo INoTHEoDISTRICToOFoBONGAIGAON oASSAM-o783384. 4:oPAYALoMANDALoDAS oWIFEoOFoSANJIBoDAS o RESIDENToOFoWARDoNO.o9 o INoTHEoDISTRICToOFoBONGAIGAON oASSAM-o783384. 5:oMOMTAJoBEGUM oWIFEoOFoASHRAFULoALAM o PageoNo.#o2/5 RESIDENToOFoWARDoNO.o11 o P.O.oANDoP.S.oABHAYAPURI o INoTHEoDISTRICToOFoBONGAIGAON oASSAM-o783384. 6:oPRANABoKALITA oSONoOFoLATEoPRAFULLAoKALITA o RESIDENToOFoWARDoNO.o10 o P.O.oANDoP.S.oABHAYAPURI o INoTHEoDISTRICToOFoBONGAIGAON oASSAM-o783384. 7:oSOKILAoYASMIN oWIFEoOFoSAJUoHUSSAIN o RESIDENToOFoWARDoNO.o3 o P.O.oANDoP.S.oABHAYAPURIo(ROWMARI) o INoTHEoDISTRICToOFoBONGAIGAON oASSAM-o783384o VERSUSo THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo6oORSo REPRESENTEDoBYoTHEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.o OFoASSAM,o URBANoDEVELOPMENToDEPARTMENT,o DISPUR,oGUWAHATI-o781006,oASSAM. 2:THEoDIRECTOR oMUNICIPALoADMINISTRATION oDIRECTORATEoOFoMUNICIPALoADMINISTRATION oASSAM o GUWAHATI-o781006. 3:THEoSUB-DIVISIONALoOFFICERo(CIVIL) oNORTHoSALMARA oABHAYAPURI oASSAM-o783384. 4:THEoEXECUTIVEoOFFICER Page No.# 3/5 ABHAYAPURI MUNICIPAL BOARD P.O. AND P.S.- ABHAYAPURI DIST- BONGAIGAON ASSAM- 783384. 5:RAMENDRA NARAYAN BANIKYA S/O- LT. MADHAB CHANDRA BANIKYA RESIDENT OF P.O. AND P.S. ABHAYAPURI DISTRICT- BONGAIGAON ASSAM CHAIRMAN ABHAYAPURI MUNICIPAL BOARD- 783384. 6:JONMONI PATHAK RABHA W/O- KALYAN RABHA RESIDENT OF P.O. AND P.S.- ABHAYAPURI DISTRICT- BONGAIGAON ASSAM VICE CHAIRMAN ABHAYAPURI MUNICIPAL BOARD- 783384. 7:THE ABHAYAPURI MUNICIPAL BOARD REPRESENTED BY ITS CHAIRMAN P.O. AND P.S.- ABHAYAPURI DIST- BONGAIGAON ASSAM- 783384 Advocate for the Petitioner : MR G N SAHEWALLA Advocate for the Respondent : GA, ASSAM BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUMAN SHYAM