Binod Kumar Singh v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.13726 of 2023 ====================================================== Binod Kumar Singh S/o Late Baijnath Singh, Gali No. 1a, MuhallaGaurakshani, Sasaram, PS-Sasaram (T), District Rohtas, Bihar-821115. ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

1.

The State of Bihar through Secretary Food and Consumer Protection Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

2.

Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Limited through Managing Director, Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation, 5th Floor, Sone Bhawan, Patna.

3.

The District Manager, Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Limited, Kaimur.

4.

District Transport Committee, Kaimur through its Secretary 5.

The District Magistrate Kaimur-cum-Chairman of District Transport Committee, Kaimur.

6.

The Deputy Development Commissioner, Kaimur-cum-Deputy Chairman of District Transport Committee, Kaimur.

7.

The District Manager, Kaimur-cum-of Secretary of District Transport Committee, Kaimur.

8.

The District Transport Officer, Kaimur-cum-Member of District Transport Committee, Kaimur.

9.

District Supply Officer, Kaimur-cum-Member of District Transport Committee, Kaimur.

10.

The General Manager, Public Distribution, Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd. Patna.

11.

Umesh Kumar Singh, S/o Late Ram Avadhesh Singh, R/o Village Sakri, PSKudra, District-Kaimur (Bhabua), Bihar-821108. 12.

Rakesh Kumar, s/o Sakhi Chand Sah, R/o Village Muradabad Khurd, PSSasaram (M), District Rohtas, Bihar-821113. 13.

Avinash Kumar Singh S/o Ramashankar Singh, Village-Tendua, PODhawpokhar, PS-Karamchat, District-Kaimur (Bhabua), Bihar-821108. .. ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Rajendra Pd., Sr. Advocate Mr. Ravi Shankar Sahay, Advocate Mr. Prashant Bhushan, Advocate For the Respondent/s :

Mr. Arvind Ujjwal, SC 4 For BSFC :

Mr. Shailendra Kumar Singh, Advocate ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAMESH CHAND MALVIYA

2/5 ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI) Date : 07-11-2023 In the instant writ petition, petitioner has prayed for the following relief/reliefs:

"i. For issuance of a writ of certiorari or any other appropriate writ(s)/order(s)/direction(s) to quash Letter no. 5956 dated 05.08.2023, issued by Respondent No. 10, which was communicated to the petitioner vide Memo No. 709 dated 21.07.2023 issued by Respondent No. - 3 (Annexure - P/8), by which contract executed in pursuance to Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) - cum - Standard Bidding Document (SBD) No. 356 dated 17.04.2023, with petitioner and other contractors were rescinded without following the principles of natural justice. And/or ii. For issuance of a writ of certiorari or any other appropriate writ(s)/order(s)/direction (s) to quash the consequential issuance of Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) No. - 805, dated 10.08.2023, by Respondent No. - 3 (Annexure - P/11) for selection and empanelment of Transportation cum Handling agent, And/or.

iii. For issuance of a direction to Respondent No. - 3 to stay the operation of Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) No. - 805, dated 10.08.2023,

3/5 issued him, during the pendency of the present writ application, And or/ iv. Pass such other order/orders which this count deems fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of this case for securing the ends of justice."

2. Core issue involved in the present lis is that whether Headquarter Committee (BSFC), Patna in the guise of reviewing District Committee's decision is empowered to cancel the District Committee's decision or not? Powers and functions of the Headquarter Committee (BSFC), Patna is forthcoming in the order dated 16.03.2018 produced as Annexure R/2 to the counter affidavit on behalf of respondents. It is necessary to reproduce Clause 4 which reads as under:

"(4) मुख्ययालय पररिवहन समममतत - मबिहयारि मवत्त मनयमयावलल कके पयावधयाननों कके तहत एकल मनमवदया कके मनपटयारिके एवं जजिलया पररिवहन समममत दयारिया जलए गए मनरय. मयागरदरन एवं समलकया हकेतमु मुख्ययालय स्तरि परि एक मुख्ययालय पररिवहन समममत हहोगल, जजिसकया स्वरूप मनम्न पकयारि हहोगया:- 1 पबिवंध मनदकेरक अध्यक 2 मुख्ययालय म पदस्थयामपत वरिलय मवहयारि परयासमनक सकेवया कके पदयाजधकयारिल सदस्य 3 मनदकेरक परद दयारिया मनहोमनत मकयके गयके कहोई एक सदस्य सदस्य मुख्ययालय पररिवहन समममत यहो मनम्न दयामयत्व हनोंगके:-

4/5 (क) " मुख्ययालय पररिवहन समममत "

सकम पयाजधकयारि ( जजिलया पररिवहन समममत ) सके एक स्तरि कके उपरि कके पयाजधकयारि कके रूप म कयायर करिकेगया । इसकके अलयावा यमद जजिलया पररिवहन समममत वतरमयान मके स्वलककत पररिवहन दरि सके अजधक दरि परि पररिवहन अमभिकत्तयारओवं कया चयन करिकेगल, तहो ऐसके मयामलके कक समलकया भिल मुख्ययालय पररिवहन समममत दयारिया कक जियायमगल। (ख) अमनयममततया बिरितनके कके आरिहोप म यया एकरियारिनयामया अवजध समयामप्ति कके उपरियान्त रियाषलय खयाद्य समुरिकया यहोजिनया कके अन्तगरत खयाद्ययान्न कके असमय उठयाव, पररिवहन एवं मवतरिर कहो समुचयारू रूप सके सवंचयालन हकेतमु स्वच्छ छमव वयालके कयायररित पररिवहन अमभिकतयार कया चयन, नयके पररिवहन-सहहथयालन अमभिकत्तयार कक मनयमुमक्ति हहोनके तक उक्ति जजिलके कके मनधयारररित दरि परि यया मफिरि मवभियागलय रूप सके खयाद्ययान्न कया पररिवहन जजिलया पररिवहन समममत कक अनमुरवंसया परि मुख्ययालय पररिवहन समममत दयारिया मकयया जा सककेगया।"

3. Reading of the aforementioned Clause, scope and powers of the Headquarter Committee (BSFC), Patna is only to the extent of reviewing the District Committee's decision and there are no powers for cancellation in the guise of reviewing the decision of the District Committee, therefore, Headquarter Committee (BSFC), Patna has committed error in cancelling in the guise of reviewing the District Committee's decision. Hence, the petitioner has made out a case so as to interfere with the impugned orders.

4. Accordingly, Letter No. 5956 dated 05.08.2023, NIT No. 805 dated 10.08.2023 stand set aside. We remand the matter to

5/5 the Headquarter Committee (BSFC), Patna to undertake/revisit to the decision of the District Committee and to undertake only review to the extent mentioned in the Clause 4 of the order dated 16.03.2018 cited supra. The above action shall be taken by the Headquarter Committee (BSFC), Patna within a period of two months from the date of receipt of copy of this order. The decision taken shall be communicated to the petitioner at the earliest.

5. With the above observation, present writ petition stands allowed.

(P. B. Bajanthri, J) ( Ramesh Chand Malviya, J) GAURAV S./- AFR/NAFR NAFR CAV DATE NA Uploading Date 08.11.2023 Transmission Date NA