Awadhesh Ray v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.3429 of 2023 ====================================================== Awadhesh Ray, Son of Late Deep Narayan Ray, resident of Village Naya Tola, Sabinama, P.S. Athamalgola, District - Patna, Bihar. ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

1.

The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

2.

The Deputy Secretary, Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

3.

The Additional Secretary, Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

4.

The Engineer in Chief, (Head Quarter), Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Prabhat Ranjan, Advocate For the Respondent/s :

Mr. Sri Ram Krishna, Advocate Mr. Akash Chaturvedi, AC to SC-11 ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR JHA ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI) Date : 21-04-2023 Heard learned counsels for respective parties.

2. In the instant petition, petitioner has prayed for following reliefs:- "1. That this is an application on behalf of the petitioner above named seeking issuance of appropriate writ, rule or direction for;

(i) Quashing of the Notice to Show Cause contained in letter no. 732 dated 25.02.2022, by which the Under Secretary, Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar without even mentioning the contemplated action/ proposed penalty has asked the petitioner to show cause as to why

2/6 for the allegations contained therein, appropriate action be not taken against him in terms of clause 11 (d) (vii) of the Bihar Contractors Registration Rules, 2007.

(ii) Quashing of the consequential Blacklisting Order contained in memo no. 2532 dated 21.06.2022, by which the Engineer-in-Chief (Headquarters) without even considering the reply and on the basis of Show Cause Notice dated 25.02.2022 of the Petitioner, has proceeded to blacklist the Petitioner for a period of 10 years in terms of Clause 11 (d) (vii) of the Bihar Contractors Registration Rules 2007.

(iii) Restraining the Respondents from giving effect to the office Order contained in memo no. 2532 dated 21.06.2022 (Annexure 6) during the pendency of the instant writ application."

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that impugned action is without compliance to principle of natural justice to the full extent. On the other hand, it is submitted that show cause notice was issued. However, extraneous material has been taken into consideration for the purpose of passing impugned order. The extraneous material has not been made available to the petitioner to counter the same before impugned action is taken. Annexure-6 reads as under:- "

संचचकासंखया- 11/ चवचवध-06-01/2022 चबहारसरकार जलसंसाधनचवभाग। आदेश मुख्य अभभियतत, बतढ़ भनियत्रण एवय जल भनिस्सरण, जल सयसतधनि भवभितग, समस्ततीपमुर प्रक्षेत्रतधतीनि बतद

3/6 भनियत्रण प्रमयडल दलभसयहसरतय कक्षे अधतीनि एजेंडत सय0180/252 / 2022 कक्षे तहत गयगत निदती कक्षे बतएय भकनितरक्षे पर चचाँदपमुर-धममौनि- रसलपमुर डडॉवक्षेल कक्षे भवभभिन्न स्थतनिनों पर कटतव भनिररोधक कतयर्य कती भनिभवदत मजें सयवदक्षेक शती अवधक्षेश रतय गतम + परो०- सबनितीमत, भजलत-पटनित भिती एक भनिभवदतदततत थक्षे। शती रतय कक्षे भवरुद्ध भनिभवदत कक्षे सतथ सयलग्नि कतयर्यानिमुभिव प्रमतण पत्र कक्षे फजर्जी / जतलती हरोनिक्षे कक्षे आररोप कक्षे सतथ मुख्य अभभियतत बतढ़ भनियत्रण एवय जल भनिस्सरण, समस्ततीपमुर कक्षे पत्रत्रांक- 299 भदनित्रांक 08.02.2022 सक्षे सयवक्षेदक करो कतलती सूचती मजें डतलक्षे जतनिक्षे भनिभमत्त अनिमुशयसत प्रतप्त हमुई। प्रभतवक्षेभदत आररोप कक्षे भलए भवभितगतीय पत्रत्रांक732 भदनित्रांक 25.02.2022 दतरत सयवक्षेदक सक्षे कतरण पृच्छत भकयत गयत। कतरण पृच्छत कत जवतब निहहीं प्रतप्त हरोनिक्षे कती भस्थभत मजें पमुनिनः पत्रत्रांक 1240 भदनित्रांक 25.03.

2022 दतरत उन्हजें जवतब दक्षेनिक्षे हक्षेतमु भनिदर्देभशत भकयत गयत । सयवक्षेदक दतरत अपनिक्षे पत्रत्रांक 25 भदनित्रांक 25.03.2022 सक्षे स्वतस्थ्य कतरणनों कत हवतलत दक्षेतक्षे हमुए जवतब दक्षेनिक्षे हक्षेतमु 15 भदनिनों कक्षे अभतभरक्त समय कती मत्रांग कती गयती। भवभितग दतरत पमुनिनः पत्रत्रांक 1351 भदनित्रांक 30.03.2022 सक्षे 15 भदनिनों कत समय भदयत गयत । सयवक्षेदक दतरत पमुनिनः अपनिक्षे पत्रत्रांक भदनित्रांक 11.04.2022 सक्षे स्वतस्थ्य कतरणनों कत हवतलत दक्षेतक्षे हमुए 10 भदनिनों कत अभतभरक्त समय मत्रांगत गयत। इसकक्षे प्रत्यमुत्तर मजें भवभितग दतरत उन्हजें एक सप्ततह कत समय भदयत गयत । सयवक्षेदक दतरत उनिकक्षे पत्रत्रांक-28 एवय 29 भदनित्रांक11.05.

2022 सक्षे कतरण पृच्छत कत जबतव प्रतप्त हमुआ। प्रतप्त जबतव कक्षे आधतर पर मतमलक्षे कती सम्यक समतीकत कती गयती एवय समतीकरोपरतत पतयत गयत भक भनिभवदत कक्षे सतथ सयलग्नि कतयर्यानिमुभिव प्रमतण पत्र कतयर्यपतलक अभभियतत, बतढ़ भनियत्रण प्रमयडल, बभख्तयतरपमुर कक्षे पत्रत्रांक626 भदनित्रांक- 16.12.

4/6 अभभियतत, बतढ़ भनियत्रण प्रमयडल, दलभसयहसरतय दतरत अपनिक्षे पत्रत्रांक- 833 भदनित्रांक- 28.12.2021 सक्षे इसकत सत्यतपनि कतयर्यपतलक अभभियतत, बतढ़ भनियत्रण प्रमयडल, बभख्ततरयरपमुर सक्षे करतयत गयत। कतयर्यपतलक अभभियतत, बतद भनियत्रण प्रमयडल, बभख्तयतरपमुर दतरत अपनिक्षे पत्रत्रांक- 135 भदनित्रांक03.02.2022 सक्षे सत्यतपनि प्रभतवक्षेदनि मजें उल्लक्षेख भकयत गयत कती प्रश्नगत कतयर्यानिमुभिव प्रमतण पत्र पत्रत्रांक-626 भदनित्रांक- 16.12.

2018 उनिकक्षे कतयर्यालय सक्षे भनिगर्यत निहहीं ह। सयवक्षेदक दतरत अपनिक्षे जबतव मजें कहत गयत भक यह गलतती उनिकक्षे एक कमर्जी कक्षे दतरत कती गई भजसक्षे उन्हजें तत्कतभलक रूप सक्षे कतयर्यमुक्त कर भदयत गयत। सतथ हती उनिकक्षे दतरत सहतनिमुभिसूभत पसूवर्यक भवचतर करतक्षे हमुए आररोपमुक्त करनिक्षे कत अनिमुररोध भकयत गयत। उपयमुर्यक्त सक्षे प्रमतभणत हरो जततत ह भक सयवक्षेदक दतरत भनिभवदत कक्षे सतथ फजर्जी / जतलती कतयर्यानिमुभिव प्रमतण पत्र सयलग्नि भकयत गयत थत। इनिकत यह कपृत भबहतर ठतीकक्षेदतरती भनिबयधनि भनियमतवलती-2007 कक्षे भनियम 11 (क) (vii) कक्षे तहत कदतचतर कती शक्षेणती मजें आतत ह। अतनः भवभितगतीय आदक्षेश सयo 201 भदनित्रांक 14.03.

2016 कक्षे प्रतवधतनितनिमुसतर सयवक्षेदक शती अवधक्षेश रतय, -गतम+परो0--सबनितीमत, भजलत-पटनित (भनि0 सय068/2018 प्रथम शक्षेणती) करो दस (10) वररय कक्षे भलए कतलती सूचती मजें डतलत जततत ह। ह०/- (रवतीन्द्र कमुमतर शयकर) अभभियतत प्रमुख (मुख्यतलय)। Perusal of the aforesaid order it is evident that there is non-compliance to show cause notice in respect of fresh material. Apex Court in the case of UMC Technologies Pvt.

5/6 Ltd. vs. Food Corporation of India and Another, reported in (2021) 2 SCC 551 read with Isolators and Isolators through its Proprietor Mrs. Sandhya Mishra Vs. Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Co. Ltd & Another reported in 2023 LiveLaw (SC) 330 (para 34) held that notice must indicate proposed action. That apart, reading of number of judgments in respect of blacklisting, the following points were required to be examined by the concerned authority:- (i) The order of blacklisting involving civil consequences cast slur. Such an action can be taken only on the basis of objectives, satisfaction of the authority concerned. The fundamental of fair play required that the person concerned should be given an opportunity to present his case before he is put on blacklisting.

(ii) The order of blacklisting must specifically spell out the intention of blacklisting.

(iii) The order of blacklisting must be speaking order supported with reasons.

(iv) Blacklisting cannot be for an indefinite period and the period of blacklisting should be fixed based on doctrine of proportionality of the case.

4. Perusal of the notice in the present case, there is no specific proposed action. In the absence of specific proposed action, the impugned action dated 25.02.2022 (Annexure-4) and 21.06.2022 (Annexure-6) are liable to be set aside. Accordingly, they are set aside reserving liberty to the concerned respondent

6/6 to proceed in accordance with law. The concerned authority is hereby directed to take note of aforementioned judicial pronouncements before taking further action.

5. Accordingly, the present petition stands disposed of.

(P. B. Bajanthri, J) ( Arun Kumar Jha, J) rakhi/- AFR/NAFR NAFR CAV DATE N.A.

Uploading Date 02.05.2023 Transmission Date N.A.