Pramila Devi v. The Bihar State Through Secretary, Rural Works Deptt. And ORS
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.22255 of 2018 ====================================================== Pramila Devi w/o Shailendra Kumar, resident of Vill.-Korari, P.O.-Korari, P.S.-Belchh Korari, District-Patna, Bihar- 803110 ... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1.
The Bihar State Through Secretary, Rural Works Deptt. and Ors 2.
The Secretary, Rural Works Deptt. Government of Bihar, Patna. 3.
The Engineer in Chief, Rural Works Deptt. Government of Bihar, Patna. 4.
The Chief Engineer, Rural Works Deptt. Government of Bihar, Patna. 5.
The Superintending Engineer, RWD Works Circle, Patna. 6.
The Executive Engineer, RWD, Works Division, Patna. ... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s :
Mr. Sushant Kumar, Advocate Mr. Gautam Kumar Yadav, Advocate For the Respondent/s :
Mr. Pratik Kumar Sinha, AC to GA V, Mr. Ajay ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE JITENDRA KUMAR ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI) Date : 14-07-2023 Heard learned counsels for the parties.
2. In the instant petition, petitioner has prayed for following reliefs:- "1. That through this writ application the petitioner make a prayer for issuance of the appropriate writ/s, order/s or direction/s to the respondents for following relief/reliefs:- (a) To quash the letter contained in letter no. 4361 dt. 27.09.2018 issued by Engineer in Chief (Respondent No. 3) by which all Chief Engineer, all Superintending Engineer, and all Executive Engineer, have been directed to issue
2/6 Centralized NIT in a package under head of 3054 for class and Class II Road only with the purpose to give benefit to Grade-I contractor and to debar the Grade-II, III, IV contractor like the petitioner not to participate in NIT.
(b) To stay the letter contained in letter no. 4361 dt. 27.9.2018 (Annexure2) issued by Engineer-in-Chief RWD Govt. of Bihar Patna till final disposal of writ application.
(c) During pendency of the present writ application to stay the letter contained in letter no. 4361 dt. 27.9.2018 (Annexure-2) issued by Engineer-in-Chief RWD Govt. of Bihar Patna.
(d) Any other relief/reliefs for entitle the petitioner is under the facts and circumstance of the case."
3. Petitioner is aggrieved by the internal communication of Engineer-in-Chief to all his subordinates like Chief Engineer, Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineer etc. insofar as certain directions were to be followed. Such directions are affecting the petitioner's right as Class 2 contractor. It is necessary to re-produce direction given by the Engineer-in-Chief to all his subordinates dated 27.09.2018, vide Annexure- 2, which reads as under:- "
बबहारसरकार गग्राममीण कारबवभाग पटनग्रा@ददिननांक & 27@9@18 i=kad &eq0 v0 &4 1⁄4 eq01⁄2 3054 &04&03@12 4361 Ás"kd] सुभाष चनद अबभरंताप्रमुख ।
3/6 सेवामे] सभीमुखरअबभरंता .
सभमी अधमीक्षण अदभयतग्रा , कग्रायर्य अचल , सभमी कग्रायर्यपग्रालक अदभयतग्रा , कग्रायर्य प्रमयडल। दविषय - शमीषर्य 3054 कक अयतर्यत ककन्दमीककत (Centralised) दनदविदिग्रा प्रकग्राशन एविय पककज में दनदविदिग्रा आमयदत्रित करनक कक सयबयध में। महाशर, आप सभमी अविरत हैं दक गग्राममीण कग्रायर्य दविभग्रार दग्रारग्रा गग्राममीण सड़ककों कक रख-रखग्रावि हकतमु "दबहग्रार गग्राममीण पथ अनमुरक्षण नमीदत-2013" सकल्प स0-533 ददिननांक 25.02.2014 कक मग्राध्यम सक अदधसूदचत हप। इसकक आललोक में शकणमी-1 एविय शकणमी-2 पथ कक दलए दनदविदिग्रा दनकग्रालमी जग्रातमी हप। कग्रायर्य प्रमयडलकों दग्रारग्रा दनकग्रालक जग्रानकविग्रालक NIT में एकरूपतग्रा आविश्यक हप। सग्राथ हमी मसूल मरम्मदत कग्रायर्य कक पशग्रात 5 विषर्षीय रुटमीन अनमुरक्षण कलो प्रभग्राविमी बनग्रानक हकतमु पक्षकों कलो पककज कक रूप में दनदविदिग्रा भमी आविश्यक हप।
2. उपयमुर्यक्त सयदिभर्य में दविभग्रार दग्रारग्रा दनम्नदलदखत प्रग्राविधग्रान दनणर्यय दलयक रयक हैं- (i) शमीषर्य 3054 कक अयतर्यत ककन्दमीककत (Centralised) दनदविदिग्रा प्रकग्रादशत हलोरमी। (ii) शकणमी-1 एविय शकणमी-2 पथकों वि दलए अलर-अलर पककज बनग्राकर दनदविदिग्रा कमी जग्रायकरमी। (iii) शकणमी-1 / शकणमी-2 पक्षकों कक पककज दनम्न प्रकग्रार बनकरकदकसमी कग्रायर्य प्रमयडल कक अधमीन नक प्रखयड दजसमें अदधकनांश चयदनत पथ आतक हप एविय इस प्रखयड कमी समीमग्रा सक सटक प्रखयडकों कक अयतर्यत सभमी पथकों कग्रा एक पककज (दनदविदिग्रा कमी अदधकत्तम रग्रादश ₹10 करलोड) बनकरग्रा। दविशग्रासभग्राजन (समुभग्राष चन्द) अदभयतग्रा प्रमुख
4/6 जग्रापनांक- मु०अ० ( मु०) 3054-04-03 / 1:4361 पटनग्रा/ ददिननांक- 27/9/18 प्रदतदलदप -सदचवि, गग्राममीण कग्रायर्य दविभग्रार, दविहर, पटनग्रा कलो सूचनग्राथर्य समदपर्यत। अदभयतग्रा प्रमुख"
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that such issuance of internal communication by the Engineer-inChief to his subordinates is in the absence of any policy of the State Government. Engineer-in-Chief has no source of power to issue such guidelines or directions to his subordinates. Therefore, the impugned communication dated 27.09.2018 be set aside.
5. Per contra, learned counsel for the respondents resisted the aforesaid contentions and submitted that such internal communication between Engineer-in-Chief and his subordinates is with reference to government policy decision. Therefore, no interference is called for.
6. Heard learned counsels for respective parties.
7. Undisputed facts are that the petitioner is a Class-2 contractor as on 27.09.2018, the date on which internal communication was issued by the Engineer-in-Chief to the subordinate officials to follow such directions. The Respondent-
5/6 State have failed to apprise this Court that there was State Government policy and thereafter Engineer-in-Chief has issued certain directions to his subordinates. Despite giving sufficient time the respondent could not apprise this Court in producing relevant policy decision of the State Government issued under Article 166 of the Constitution read with rules of business and rules of transaction of the State of Bihar.
8. On the other hand, it is submitted that certain files relating to policy decision were burnt in fire accident. In this regard concerned department has initiated criminal case in filing F.I.R. which is pending consideration. Taking note of these material information petitioner has made out a prima facie case to the extent that Engineer-in-Chief has no authority of law to issue any directions to his subordinates in the absence of statutory policy of the State Government, its sub-delegation of power to Engineer-in-Chief. Moreover, there is no reference to the State Government policy in the impugned communication dated 27.09.2018. Therefore, we have to draw inference that no policy have been framed insofar as the directions issued in the impugned communication. Hence, impugned communication dated 27.09.2018, vide Annexure-2 to the writ petition stands set
6/6 aside. The present writ petition stands allowed. (P. B. Bajanthri, J) (Jitendra Kumar, J) rakhi/- AFR/NAFR CAV DATE N.A.
Uploading Date 18.07.2023 Transmission Date N.A.