M/S Omdeo Packers And Movers Pvt. Ltd. v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.12124 of 2023 ====================================================== M/s Omdeo Packers and Movers Pvt. Ltd. through its Managing Director, Smt. Purnima Singh, (Female), aged about 45 Years, W/o Rana Saumitra Deo Singh, having its registered Office at Shop No. 15, L.N. Tower, Main Road, Kankarbagh, P.S.-Kankarbagh, District-Patna.

... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

1.

The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Department of Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Bihar,Patna.

2.

The Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies, Corporation Ltd., Patna through its Managing Director.

3.

The Managing Director, Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd., Patna.

4.

The District Manager, Patna, Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd., Patna.

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

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Dayanand Singh, Advocate For the State :

Mr. Maruth Nath Ray, AC to SC 4 For the Respondent/s :

Mr. Shailendra Kumar Singh, Advocate ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR JHA ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI) Date : 18-10-2023 Heard learned counsel for the respective parties.

2. In the instant petition, petitioner has prayed for the following reliefs:- "(i) For issuance of appropriate writ / orders / direction of quashing setting aside the order dated 18.04.2023 whereby and whereunder

2/8 the Respondent No. 3 has rejected the representation filed by the Petitioner.

(ii) For issuance of appropriate writ / orders / direction of quashing setting aside the order dated 07.09.2018 whereby and whereunder the Respondent No. 3 has illegally black listed the Petitioner for five years from 21.01.2016 and further forfeited security deposit and bank guarantee of the Petitioner.

(iii) For issuance of appropriate writ / orders / direction to the Respondent to pay an interest @ 6% on Rs. Rs. 69,17,222 from 08.02.2018 (date on which the payment became due) till 21.06.2022 (date on which the applicant received the payment), which amounts to Rs.

18,11,363 as per the direction passed by Hon'ble Patna High Court in order dated 08.02.2018 in CWJC No.

17455/2016, M/s Omdeo Packers and Movers Pvt. Ltd. vs The State of Bihar and Ors. Whereunder the Hon'ble Court directed the Respondent to pay interest @ 6% if the representation is not decided within six weeks and the representation dated 21.02.2018 was kept pending for 7 months as against the order of disposal in six weeks by the Hon'ble Court.

(iv) For issuance of appropriate writ / orders / direction for quashing the portion of order dated 26.04.2022 issued under the hand of Managing Director, Bihar State Food & Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd.

whereby and whereunder though the payment of Rs. 69,17,222 (Rupees Sixty Nine Lakh Seventeen Thousand Two

3/8 Hundred Twenty Two) has been made, however, the security money and bank guarantee of the Petitioner company has been withheld in following terms जजलाप्रबंधक, पटनादारापूरआदेश जापनक-3537, जदनांक20.12.2018 को अरक्रजमतकरते हुएजजलाप्रबंधक, पटनाकोजनदरशजदयाजाताहैकीरे आरेदकके पजररहनजरपत्रोके लंजबत राजशकाभुगतानअजधकतम15 जदनोके भीतरआरेदककोकरदे।चूँजकइसमामले मेआरेदककोकालीसूचीमेडालेजाने तथाउससेउद्भूतजमानतराजशतथाबैक गारंटीजबतकरनेके जनरयकाकोई समबनधनहींहै, इसजलएइसजबंदुपरयह आदेशमानयनहींहोगा| रादजनषपाजदत ।".

(v). For issuance of appropriate writ / orders/direction to the Respondents returning of security money of Rs 4,00,000, bank guarantee of Rs. 5,00,000 and earnest deposit of Rs. 1,00,000 to the Petitioner.

(vi). For any other writ, order, direction which the petitioner firm may be found eligible and entitled to and which may also seem just, proper and necessary in order to safeguard the rights and interest of the petitioner firm."

3. During pendency of the present writ petition IA No. 1 of 2023 has been filed insofar as questioning the Blacklisting order dated 07.09.2018. For the reasons stated in the application and affidavit, I.A. 1 of 2023 stands allowed.

4. With the consent of the Respective Counsels matter is taken up for final disposal. The petitioner has been blacklisted for

4/8 a period of five years. Prima facie there is delay in questioning the blacklisting order. However, at this stage, learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that petitioner had earlier approached this Court in CWJC No. 767 of 2022 and it was decided on 22.02.2022 directing the petitioner to submit representation to the concerned authority. The concerned authority proceeded to pass order on 26.04.2022.

5. Pursuant to our previous order the petitioner's monetary benefits like interest is stated to have been paid and it is not disputed by learned counsel for the petitioner. What remains in the present petition is whether blacklisting the petitioner on 07.09.2018 is in order or not?

6. Learned counsel for the petitioner vehemently contended that having regard to the conduct of the respondent in their decision it is suffice to interfere with the blacklisting order dated 07.09.2018. In this regard, learned counsel for the petitioner pointed out from Annexure P/2 dated 07.09.2018 and 26.04.2022. The same is not disputed by learned counsel for the respondents. It is necessary to reproduce the relevant portion of the order dated 07.09.2018 which is as under:- "

जनगमकेदारापूछेगयेसपषटीकरर जदनांक18.12.2015 एरंसुनराईके | दौरान उपलबधसाकयोएरंजजलाप्रबंधक, राजय

5/8 खादजनगम, पटनाकेप्रजतरेदनसे| सपषटहै जकयाजचकाकतारमे०ओनदेरपैकसरमूरसरप्रा० जल०दाराजी०पी०एस०एरं'

लोडशेलयुकत बाहनोकापयारपतसंखयामेससमयउपलबध नहींकरानेकेदोषीएरंएकरारनामाकाकांडका - 10, 11 12 एरं13 काउललंघनजकयागयाहै। अतःएकरारनामेकीकंजडका-16 केतहतमे० ओमदेरपैकसरएणडमूरसरप्रा०जन०कोजदनांक 21.01.2016 कीजतजथसेरदएकरारनामेके साथ05 रषोरकेजलएकालीसूचीमेदजरजकया जाताहैएरंजमाजमानतकीराजशएरंबैक गारणटीजपतकरनेकाआदेशजदयाजाताहै। एकरारनामेकीकंजडका-10..... under no circumstances the Vehicle shall be used without GPS, & Load cell device for Transportation of food grains and-if vehicle is used without GPS and Load cell device, no transporting charges will be paid as well as penalty will also be imposed.

अत, जजलाप्रबंधक, राजयसाथ जनगम, पटनाकेपत्रक397 जदनांक22.02.18 सेप्रापतअजधयाचनाकोअसरीकृतकरतेहुए जरपत्रकोरापसजकयाजाताहै।जजला प्रबंधक, पटनाजरपत्रकीएकरारनामेकी शतोरकेअनुरपजाँचकरजरजधसममतआदेश पाजरतकरेगे। लेखाजपतसंशोजधतप्रबंधजनदेशक प्रबंधजनदेशक

6/8 जापांक संखया:-- जदनांकः- 8/2/18 प्रेजषत। प्रजतजलजप:- जजलाप्रबंधक, राजय खादजनगम, पटनाकोसूचनाथरएरंआरशयक कायारथर प्रजतजलजप:- सभी मुखय महाप्रबंधक सभी महाप्रबंधक, सभी उप महाप्रबंधक, जबगन मुखयालय, पटना को सूचनाथरएरंआरशयककायरप्रेजषत। प्रजतजलजप:- आरेदकने०ओनदेर ककसरएणडमूरसरप्रा०जल०. प्रो०- पूजरमा जसंह, पजतश्रीरारासौजमत्रदेरजसंहको सूचनाथर एरं आरशयक कारराई हेतु उप महाप्रबंधक क्रय एरं जरजध, जनगममुखयालय, पटना।"

7. Similarly, the order dated 26.04.2022 it is necessary to quote relevant paragraph which is as under:- "

दोनोपकोकोसुननेसेपूरीतरह सपषटहैजकआरेदककेपजररहनजरपत्रको आंजशकरपसेअसरीकृतकरनाजरजधसममत नहीं है, कयोजक आरेदक के राहनो मे जी०पी०एस०यंत्रलगेरहनेकेपयारपतसाकय उपलबधहै।दूसरीओरजनगमदारालोडशेल यंत्रनहींलगाएजानेकेसंबंधमेदंडातमक कटौजतयोकाप्रारधानअप्रैल, 2016 सेलागू हुआहै।अतःउसकेपूरकीअरजधमेलोडशेल नहींलगानेकेकाररआरेदककेजरपत्रोसे

7/8 कटौतीयाउनकेदारेकोअसरीकारजकयाजाना नकेरलभेदभारपूरहोगाबजलकऔजचतयहीन तथाअरैधाजनकभी।उकतकेआलोकमेजजला प्रबंधक, पटनादारापूर"

आदशरजापांक-3537, जदनांक20.12.2018 कोअरक्रजमतकरतेहुए जजलाप्रबंधक, पटनाकोजनदेशजदयाजाताहै जकरेआरेदककेपजररहनजरपत्रोकेलजमबत राजशकाभुगतानअजधकतम15 जदनोकेभीतर आरेदककोकरदे।चूँजकइसमामलेसेआरेदक कोकालीसूचीमेडालेजानेतथाउससेउदभूत जमानतराजशतथाबैकगारंटीजबतकरनेके जनरयकाकोईसंबंधनहींहै, इसजलएइस जबनदुपरयहआदेशमानयनहींहोगा।बाद जनषपाजदत। प्रबंधजनदेशक, जबहारराजयखाद एरं असैजनक आपूजतर जनगम, जबहार, पटना।"

8. Reading of the aforementioned decision of the official respondent it is evident that blacklisting the petitioner in the year 2018 and reason assigned is contrary to factual aspects of the matter in the light of order dated 26.04.2022.

9. In the light of these facts and circumstances, the petitioner has made out a prima facie case so as to interfere with the blacklisting order dated 07.09.2018 vide Annexure P-2 to the I.A. No. 1 of 2023 and the same is set aside. The petitioner is entitled to all consequential reliefs as if the blacklisting order is not existing in the eye of the law.

8/8

10. Writ petition stands allowed.

(P. B. Bajanthri, J) (Arun Kumar Jha, J) Vikash/- AFR/NAFR NAFR CAV DATE N/A Uploading Date Transmission Date N/A