M/S Bhai Bhai Saw Mill v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

16.01.2026 Item No.769 (DL) Court No.551 (SR) WPA 4190 of 2025 < M/s. Bhai Bhai Saw Mill -Vs- State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Syed Nasirul Hossain Mr. Md. Jalaluddin .....for the petitioner.

Ms. Sonal Sinha Ms. Munmun Ganguly Mr. Kazi Tania Parveen ......for the State.

Mr. Soumya Mukherjee, ....for the WBPCB.

1. This writ petition has been filed alleging inaction on the part of the respondents in issuing licence to the petitioner for setting up secondary saw mill and for using wooden beam as raw material.

2. Learned advocate appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioner had applied for licence for setting up a secondary saw mill and using wooden beam as raw materials as far as back on December 19, 2023 but no licence has been granted to the petitioner as yet.

3. Learned advocate appearing for the State respondents hands up to Court a letter dated January 13, 2026 issued by the Divisional Forest Officer & Authorized Officer, Nadia

Murshidabad Division addressed to the Chief Conservator of Forests, Public Grievance Law & Information, West Bengal and submits that the petitioner's application for issuance of new secondary category saw mill licence is still pending, inasmuch as the State Level Committee of West Bengal did not approve any further issuance of new secondary licence from the list of the pending applications in its 10th meeting held on September 12, 2025.

4. Since the petitioner's application has been pending consideration since December 2023, this Court deems it feet to request the State level Committee to consider and dispose of the petitioner's application for licence strictly in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible and preferably when the State Level Committee convenes next.

5. It is clarified that this order shall not be treated as a mandate to trump or circumvent the chance of other applicants who may be higher up in the list than the petitioner. That is to say that the petitioner's application should not jump the queue for receiving consideration of the State Level Committee and should be considered in the right sequence.

6. WPA 4190 of 2025 stands disposed of with the above observations.

7. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties subject to compliance with all requisite formalities.

(Om Narayan Rai, J.)