Projen Terang and 20 Ors v. The State of Assam and 5 Ors

ORDER Date : 11-10-2023

The instant writ petition has been filed by the Petitioners being aggrieved by the inaction on the part of the Respondent Authorities in not making payment of their allowances/honorarium which they are legally entitled to under the provisions of the Assam Panchayat Act of 1994 and the Assam (Panchayat) Administrative Rules, 2002.

¶2Mr. P. Handique, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the P & RD Department submits that the issue involved in the instant writ petition had already been settled by this Court in its judgment rendered in the case of Poli Nagbongshi and Ors. Vs. State of Assam and Anr. reported in 2023 SCC Online Gau 1323/2023 (2) GLT 605.

¶3This Court have duly perused the said judgment and from a perusal thereof, it reveals that it was held by this Court that the Petitioners therein who were members of the Panchayat Raj Institution were legally entitled to the monthly allowances as well as the other allowances by virtue of the Assam Panchayat Act of 1994 and the Assam (Panchayat) Financial Rules, 2002. Under such circumstances, this Court directed the State of Assam and more particularly the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat & Rural Development Department to verify the claims of the Petitioners therein as Page No.# 7/8 regards their respective entitlements only insofar as the quantum is concerned and upon verification, to make payment to the Petitioners therein as per their entitlement. This Court further directed that for the purpose of making payment, if there is any requirement to take necessary concurrence from the other authorities like the Finance Department, the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat & Rural Development Department shall do the needful. Further to that, this Court also had directed the Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Finance Department to do the needful so that the entitlement of the Petitioners therein were paid by according necessary approvals and releasing the funds.

¶4Taking into account that the issues involved in the instant proceedings are similar to the issues which were dealt with by this Court in the case of Poli NagBongshi (supra), this Court also disposes of the writ petition directing the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat & Rural Development Department to verify the claims of the Petitioners herein as regards their respective entitlements only insofar as the quantum is concerned and upon verification, to make payment to the Petitioners as per their entitlement within 6 months from the date a certified copy of the instant order is served upon the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat & Rural Development Department. This Court also directs the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Panchayat & Rural Development Department to obtain necessary concurrence from the other Authorities like the Finance Department, if so required. The Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Finance Department is also directed to accord the necessary approvals if the Petitioners are found entitled to any amount upon necessary verification as directed hereinabove. Page No.# 8/8

¶6With the above observations and directions, the petition stands disposed of.

JUDGE Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/8 GAHC010260702017 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWP(C)/8034/2017o PROJENoTERANGoando20oORS.o C/OoBABURAMoTERANG,oVILLAGEoPABHOIoPATHAIJAN,oP.O.oPABHOI,oPINo 784174,oDISTRICToBISWANATH,oASSAM. 2:oARUNoHARPAL oS/O.oSRIoGOYADHARoHARPAL oVILLAGEoDHULLIEoT.E. oP.O.oPAVOI oP.S.oBISWANATH oPINo784174 oDISTRICToBISWANATH 3:oMRS.oMADINAoBEGUM oW/O.oMD.oABDULoJABAR oVILLAGEo1oNO.oDERINGoPATHAR oP.O.oPAVOI oP.S.oBISWANATH oPINo784174 oDISTRICToBISWANATH 4:oMRS.oSUNITAoTIRKEY oC/OoSRIoARUPoTIRKEY oVILLAGEoDHULLIEoKUHIARBARI oP.OoPAVOI oP.S.oBISWANATH oPINo784174 oDISTRICToBISWANATH PageoNo.#o2/8 5:oSRIoANILoMAHANANDA oC/O.oSRIoASAMLALoMAHANANDA oVILL.oDERINGoT.R.oP.O.oPAVOI oP.S.oBISWANATH oPIN-784174 oDIST.oBISWANATH 6:oMRS.oPANCHAMIoBIVAR oW/O.oSRIoMONGLUoBIVAR oVILL.oDHULLIEoT.E. oP.O.oPAVOI oP.S.oBISWANATH oPIN-784174 oDIST.oBISWANATH 7:oMRS.oANITAoBIVAR oC/O.oSRIoRAMoBIVAR oVILL.oDHULLIEoT.E.oP.O.oPAVOI oP.S.oBISWANATH oPIN-784174 oDIST.oBISWANATH 8:oANILoBARLA oC/O.oLT.oTEUFILoBARLA oVILL.oBIJOYPUR oP.O.oPAVOI oP.S.oBISWANATH oPIN-784174 oDIST.oBISWANATH 9:oMS.oROJINAoKHATUN oVILL.oBOLODANGA oP.O.oSAKOMATHA oDIST.oBISWANATH 10:oANANDAoMUNDA oVILL.oBORPUKHURIoBAGAR PageoNo.#o3/8 oP.O.oKUWARI oPIN-784176 oDIST.oBISWANATH 11:oSMT.oSIMAoPROJA oVILL.oBORPUKHURIoBAGAN oP.O.oKUWARI oPIN-784176 oDIST.oBISWANATH 12:oRAJUoMUDDI oVILL.oBAMUNIPATHAR oP.O.oPAVOI oPIN-784174 oDIST.oSONITPUR/BISWANATH 13:oRABINATHoKHODAL oVILL.oBORPUKHURIoBAGAN oP.O.oKUWARI oPIN-784176 oDIST.oSONITPUR/BISWANATH 14:oJUNMONIoBAROI oVILL.oRONGAMURI oP.O.oPAVOI oPIN-784174 oDIST.oSONITPUR/BISWANATH 15:oMADHUMATIoTANTI oVILL.oBORPUKHURIoBAGAN oP.O.oKUWARI oPIN-784176 oDIST.oSONITPUR/BISWANATH 16:oANUoBANIYA oVILL.oBORPUKHURIoBAGAN PageoNo.#o4/8 oP.O.oKUWARI oPIN-784176 oDIST.oSONITPUR/BISWANATH 17:oJONALIoMAJHI oVILL.oBORPUKHURIoBAGAN oP.O.oKUWARI oPIN-784176 oDIST.oSONITPUR/BISWANATH 18:oSRIoKHIRAMoRONGFAR oS/O.oSARIKHoRONGFAR oVILL.oNONKEoSAMUKJULI oP.O.oTINISUTI oPIN-784173 oDIST.oBISWANATH 19:oKUNTIoORIA oW/O.oROBIoORIA oVILL.oPABHOIoT.E. oP.O.oPABHOI oPIN-784174 oDIST.oBISWANATH 20:oSRIoSOSIKAPURoTANTI oS/O.oLT.oKARNOoTANTI oVILL.oPABHOIoT.E. oP.O.oPABHOI oPIN-784174 oDIST.oBISWANATH 21:oDHONRAJoBONGRUNG oS/O.oLT.oBATIRAMoBONGRUNG oVILL.oNHARBARIoSAMUKJULI oP.O.oTINISUTI oPIN-784173 oDIST.oSONITPUR/BISWANATH oASSAMo Page No.# 5/8 VERSUS THE STATE OF ASSAM and 5 ORS. SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM, PANCHAYAT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, DISPUR, GUWAHATI-6. 2:THE COMMISSIONER PANCHAYAT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPTT. JURIPAR PANJABARI GUWAHATI-37. 3:THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SONITPUR DISTRICT ASSAM. 4:THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BISWANATH DISTRICT ASSAM. 5:THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ZILLA PARISHAD MAIN RD MAHABHAIRAB TEZPUR DISTRICT SONITPUR ASSAM PIN 784001. 6:THE BLOCK DEVELOPMENT OFFICER SAKOMATHA BLOCK BISWANATH ASSAM PIN 784176 For the Petitioner(s) : None appears. For the Respondent(s) : Mr. P. Handique, Advocate. Page No.# 6/8 BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DEVASHIS BARUAH