Shri L. Kunjeshore Singh v. State of Manipur

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR AT IMPHAL WP(C) No. 663 of 2018 Shri L. Kunjeshore Singh & ors.

… Petitioners Vs. State of Manipur & ors.

… Respondents B E F O R E HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AHANTHEM BIMOL SINGH 26-04-2023

Heard Mr. Sh. Athoi Singh, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners and Mr. Niranjan Sanasam, learned GA appearing for the respondents.

The present writ petition had been filed with the prayer for directing the authorities to allow the petitioners to attend their offices and also discharge their duties and to release their unpaid pay and allowances since the month of March, 2011 till date.

The case of the petitioner is that they were all appointed as LDCs in the Revenue Department since 1998 and that from the month of March, 2011, their pay and allowances have not been released by the authorities. It has been submitted by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners that the petitioners have earlier approached this Court by filing two writ petitions viz., WP(C) No. 31 of 2016 and WP(C) No. 298 of 2016 seeking the same reliefs as sought for in the present writ petition and that the said writ petitions were disposed of by this court with the following directions:- "The present writ petition is disposed of with the direction that the respondents authorities shall examine the claim of the petitioners and verify the service status of the petitioners in accordance with law and if it is found that the petitioners have been rendering their services as LDCs in the Revenue Department, Government of Manipur, since March, 2011 till today, the petitioners shall be entitled to their due salaries and other entitlements. The aforesaid exercise will be undertaken by the authorities within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order."

The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that till today, the respondents have not taken up any action in compliance with the earlier direction given by this court and that the present writ petition IN. 52 SHOUGRAK PAM DEVANAND A SINGH Date: 2023.04.26 15:25:19 +05'30' can be disposed of by directing the respondents to carry out the earlier direction given by this court in the above mentioned two writ petitions.

Mr. Niranjan Sanasam, learned GA appearing for the respondents submitted that the monthly emoluments of the petitioners have not been paid by the authorities since 2011 as the petitioners did not render their service as claimed by them. The learned GA further submitted that he has no instruction as to whether any verification process with regard to the service status of the petitioners had been carried out by the authorities or not.

In view of the submission made by the learned counsel appearing for the parties and on careful examination of the record of the present case, this Court is of the considered view that the present writ petition can be disposed of by issuing the following directions:-

(i) The respondent No. 1 shall examine the claim of the present petitioners and to verify their service status in accordance with law within a period of four months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order.

(ii) Upon such verification, if it is found that the petitioners were rendering their services as LDCs in the Revenue Department, Government of Manipur, since March, 2011, the petitioners should be given their entitled salaries within a period of three months from the date of completion of verification process.

With the aforesaid directions, the present writ petition is disposed of.

JUDGE Devananda