Chandan Kumar v. The State Of Bihar And ORS
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.5097 of 2019 ====================================================== Chandan Kumar S/o Ashok Kumar, resident of Village Lodipur, Police Station -Khizar Sarai, District- Gaya.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1.
The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar, Patna 2.
Engineer-in-chief Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar, Patna 3.
Chief -Engineer-I Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar, Patna 4.
Chief Engineer-II Rural Development Department Government of Bihar, Patna 5.
Superintending Engineer Rural Works Department Works Circle, Gaya 6.
Executive Engineer Rural works Department, Works Division, Nimchak Bathani, Gaya 7.
Assistant Engineer Rural Works Department Works Division Nimchak Bathani, Gaya 8.
Junior Engineer Rural Works Department Works Division, Nimchak Bathani, Gaya ... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s :
Mr.Manish Kumar No.2, Advocate For the Respondent/s :
Mr.Anjani Kumar (AAG-4) ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR JHA ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI) Date : 24-02-2023 Heard learned counsels for respective parties.
2. In the instant petition, petitioner has prayed for following reliefs:- "(i) For setting aside the order dated 02.08.2018 contained in Memo No.
8610 issued by the Respondent No. 2,
2/7 Engineer-in-Chief, whereby and whereunder the Contractorship License of M/S Kumar and Kumar Construction Proprietor Shri Chandan Kumar bearing License No.
2161212/ Grade- II has been blacklisted.
(ii) For issuance of direction to the respondent authorities to restore the license of the petitioner bearing License No. - 2161212/ Grade-II which has been illegally blacklisted by the respondent authorities without considering the reply of the showcause and other materials available on the record.
(iii) And/or for any other relief or reliefs to which the petitioner may be found entitled encourse of hearing of this writ application."
3. The petitioner was granted license for contract work bearing License No. 2161212/Grade-II. Petitioner was issued show cause notice as to why his firm shall not be blacklisted. Such a proposal was based on the allegation relating to the fact that the petitioner and another threatened the Executive Engineer while visiting his house as well as in the office. In this regard, criminal proceedings are pending consideration. Meanwhile, the concerned respondents have proceeded to blacklist the petitioner's firm. Against show cause notice petitioner had submitted his reply on 13.10.2017. However, on 02.08.2018 petitioner's firm has been treated as blacklisted for ten years.
Order dated 02.08.2018 reads as under:-
3/7 "
बबहारसरकार.
गग्राममीण कारबवभाग सकारणआदेश सकारणआदेशसंखरा-14 / अ0 प0-03-122/ 2017 8610 / पटना, बदनांक-2-8-18 कग्रार्यपग्रालक अभभिरयतग्रा, गग्राममीण कग्रार्य भविभिग्राग, कग्रार्य पमयडल, नमीमचक बथग्रानमी कक पतत्रांक 804 भदिनत्रांक 16.08.
2017 दग्रारग्रा सयविकदिक मकससर्य ककमग्रार एण्ड ककमग्रार कन्सट्रक्शन पप्रो०:- शमी चन्दिन ककमग्रार पतग्रा:-गग्राम - लप्रोदिमीपकर, भखिजरसरग्रार, भजलग्रा-गरग्रा (भनबयधन सयख्रग्रा:- 2161212 / शकणमी -02) कप्रो उनकक अभिद्र व्रविहग्रार एविय कभमर्यरयों कक सग्राथ मग्रारपमीट करनक कक कग्रारण कग्रालमी सूचमी में डग्रालनक कग्रा अनकरप्रोध भकरग्रा गरग्रा। इस आशर कमी सूचनग्रा कग्रार्यपग्रालक अभभिरयतग्रा, कग्रार्य पमयडल, नमीमचक बथग्रानमी दग्रारग्रा भजलग्रा पदिग्राभधकग्रारमी, गरग्रा कक सग्राथ हमी सग्राथ सभिमी शमीर्य पदिग्राभधकग्राभररयों कप्रो दिमी जग्रा चककमी ह। उक्त सयविकदिक कक भविरूद्ध कग्रारर्यालर कमर्मी दग्रारग्रा स्थग्रानमीर थग्रानग्रा भसभविल लग्राइन, गरग्रा में पग्राथभमकमी सयख्रग्रा 336/2017 दिजर्य करग्रारमी जग्रा चककमी ह। इस हकतक मकख्र अभभिरयतग्रा - 01 गग्राममीण कग्रार्य भविभिग्राग, पटनग्रा कग्रा पतत्रांक 3178 अनक० भदिनत्रांक 31.08.
2017 एविय अधमीक्षण अभभिरयतग्रा, गग्राममीण कग्रार्य भविभिग्राग, कग्रार्य अयचल, गरग्रा कग्रा पतत्रांक 1858 अनक0 भदिनत्रांक 22.08.2018 सक उक्त सयविकदिक कप्रो कग्रालमी सूचमी में डग्रालनक कमी अनकशयसग्रा कमी जग्रा चककमी ह। ऐसमी भस्थभत में भविभिग्रागमीर पतत्रांक 11015 भदिनत्रांक 21.09.2017 दग्रारग्रा सयविकदिक सक स्पषमीकरण कमी ममाँग कमी गरमी। भजसकक अनकपग्रालन में सयविकदिक नक अपनक पतत्रांक 452 / 17 भदिनत्रांक 13.10.2017 दग्रारग्रा सग्राषमीकरण भविभिग्राग कप्रो समभपर्यत भकरग्रा गरग्रा भजसमें मसूल रूप सक सयविकदिक दग्रारग्रा पदिग्राभधकग्राभररयों / कमर्यचग्राभररयों कप्रो दिप्रोरमी ठहरग्रानक कग्रा उल्लकखि भकरग्रा गरग्रा ह। भविभिग्रागमीर पतत्रांक 12925 अनक0 भदिनत्रांक 23.11.
2017 सक मकख्र अभभिरयतग्रा - 2 गग्राममीण कग्रार्य भविभिग्राग, पटनग्रा कप्रो भनदिर्देश भदिरग्रा गरग्रा भक पसूरक पकरण कमी जजॉच कर पभतविकभदित भकरग्रा जग्रार । मकख्र अभभिरयतग्रा - 02, गग्राममीण कग्रार्य भविभिग्राग, पटनग्रा दग्रारग्रा अपनक पतत्रांक 1240 अनक० भदिनत्रांक 12.03.2018 दग्रारग्रा कग्रार्यपग्रालक अभभिरयतग्रा, कग्रार्य पमयडल, नमीमचक बथग्रानमी कक पभतविकदिन सयख्रग्रा 248 अनक0 भदिनत्रांक 08.03.
4/7 अतएवि विभणर्यत तथ्रयों कक आलप्रोक में सयविकदिक सयविकदिक मकससर्य ककमग्रार एण्ड ककमग्रार कन्सट्रक्शन पप्रो०:- शमी चन्दिन ककमग्रार पतग्रात-गग्राम - लप्रोदिमीपकर, भखियजरसरग्रार, भजलग्रा-गरग्रा (भनबयधन सयख्रग्रा:- 2161212 / शकणमी -02) सक पग्राप्त स्पषमीकरण कप्रो अस्विमीककत करतक हकए भबहग्रार सरकग्रार गग्राममीण कग्रार्य भविभिग्राग कमी अभधसूचनग्रा सयख्रग्रा-8123 भदिनत्रांक 19.12.2007 कक कयभडकग्रा- 11 (क) उप कयभडकग्रा- I एविय III में भनभहत पग्राविधग्रानयों एविय भबहग्रार सरकग्रार पथ भनमर्याण भविभिग्राग कक कग्रारर्यालर आदिकश सयख्रग्रा-154 भदिनत्रांक 18.06.2015 कक कयभडकग्रा-8 कक उप कयभडकग्रा-2 में भनभहत पग्राविधग्रानयों कक आलप्रोक में 10 (दिस) विररय कक भलए भविभिग्रागमीर कग्रालमी सूचमी में डग्रालग्रा जग्रातग्रा ह।"
Perusal of the decision to blacklist the petitioner's firm for ten years, the contentions of the petitioner, reply to the show cause notice dated 13.10.2017 has not been taken note of and not considered each of the contentions.
4. Thus, the petitioner has remedy of judicial review against blacklisting order dated 02.08.2018, as an unreasoned order has been passed by authority on 02.08.2018. On the ground of non-speaking order and for not considering the petitioner's reply to the show cause notice, petitioner has made out a prima facie case so as to interfere with Annexure-5 dated 02.08.2018.
5. At this stage, it is necessary to take note of Apex Court's Decision in the case of Kranti Associates (P) Ltd. and Another V. Masood Ahmed Khan & Ors. reported in (2010) 9 SSC 496 and in para 47 it is held as under:-
5/7 "47.
Summarising the above discussion, this Court holds:
(a) In India the judicial trend has always been to record reasons, even in administrative decisions, if such decisions affect anyone prejudicially.
(b) A quasi-judicial authority must record reasons in support of its conclusions.
(c) Insistence on recording of reasons is meant to serve the wider principle of justice that justice must not only be done it must also appear to be done as well.
(d) Recording of reasons also operates as valid restraint on any possible arbitrary exercise of judicial and quasijudicial or even administrative power. (e) Reasons reassure that discretion has been exercised by the decision-maker on relevant grounds and by disregarding extraneous considerations.
(f) Reasons have virtually become as indispensable a component of a decision-making process as observing principles of natural justice by judicial, quasi-judicial and even by administrative bodies.
(g) Reasons facilitate the process of judicial review by superior courts.
(h) The ongoing judicial trend in all countries committed to rule of law and constitutional governance is in favour of reasoned decisions based on relevant facts. This is virtually the lifeblood of judicial decision - making justifying the principle that reason is the soul of justice. (i) Judicial or even quasijudicial opinions these days can be as different as the judges and authorities who deliver them. All these decisions serve one common purpose which is to demonstrate by reason that the relevant factors have
6/7 been objectively considered. This is important for sustaining the litigants' faith in the justice delivery system.
(j) Insistence on reason is a requirement for both judicial accountability and transparency.
(k) If a judge or a quasijudicial authority is not candid enough about his/her decision-making process then it is impossible to know whether the person deciding is faithful to the doctrine of precedent or to principles of incrementalism.
(l) Reasons in support of decisions must be cogent, clear and succinct. A pretence of reasons or "rubberstamp reasons" is not to be equated with a valid decision-making process.
(m) It cannot be doubted that transparency is the sine qua non of restraint on abuse of judicial powers.
Transparency in decision-making not only makes the judges and decision-makers less prone to errors but also makes them subject to broader scrutiny. (See David Shapiro in Defence of Judicial Candor).
(n) Since the requirement to record reasons emanates from the broad doctrine of fairness in decision-making, the said requirement is now virtually a component of human rights and was considered part of Strasbourg Jurisprudence. See Ruiz Torija v. Spain EHRR, at 562 para 29 and Anya v.
University of Oxford, wherein the Court referred to Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights which requires, "adequate and intelligent reasons must be given for judicial decisions".
(o) In all common law jurisdictions judgments play a vital role in setting up precedents for the future.
Therefore, for development of law, requirement of giving reasons for the
7/7 decision is of the essence and is virtually a part of "due process"."
6. In the light of Apex Court's decision, petitioner has made out a prima facie case so as to interfere with Annexure-5 dated 02.08.2018. Accordingly, it is set aside reserving liberty to the concerned respondent to proceed strictly in accordance with law after taking note of the principles laid down in the decision cited (supra).
7. Accordingly, the present petition stands allowed.
(P. B. Bajanthri, J) ( Arun Kumar Jha, J) rakhi/- AFR/NAFR NAFR CAV DATE N.A.
Uploading Date 01.03.2023 Transmission Date N.A.