Rina Bairagi v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

D/L. 12.

July 31, 2023.

MNS.

WPA No. 16978 of 2023 Rina Bairagi Vs.

The State of West Bengal and others Mr. Partha Sarathi Das, Mr. Debojyoti Das ... for the petitioner.

Mr.Somnath Ganguly, Mr. Raja Ram Banerjee ...for the State.

Affidavit-of-service filed in Court today be kept on record.

The grievance of the writ petitioner is innocuous.

It is argued that the petitioner had applied for licence from the respondent no. 2, that is, the Office of the Geologist, Geological Sub-Division No. III/A, State Water Investigation Directorate. Such licence, made for the purpose of installation of a water purification plant, has not been issued nor has the application been decided or processed. The petitioner gave certain representations on such score, but without any effect.

Learned counsel appearing for the State submits that it is doubtful whether the representation was actually given by the petitioner, which contention is controverted by learned counsel for the petitioner, who places reliance on the photocopies of the receipts of the postal departments annexed to the writ petition. Be that as it may, since a copy of the concerned application of the petitioner for a licence to install a water purification plant has been annexed at page 19 of the writ petition, it is the incumbent duty of the respondent no. 2 to process the same and to come to a decision on the said application.

Accordingly, WPA No. 16978 of 2023 is disposed of by directing the respondent no. 2 to decide on the application of the petitioner, annexed at page 19 of the present writ petition, as expeditiously as possible, positively within a fortnight from the date of communication of this order to the said respondent.

It is, however, made clear that the merits of the said application have not been gone into by this court and it will be open to the respondent no. 2 to decide the same independently. The respondent no.

2, immediately upon

consideration of the same, shall intimate the outcome thereof in writing to the petitioner. There will be no order as to costs.

Urgent photostat certified copies of this order, if applied for, be made available to the parties upon compliance with the requisite formalities.

(Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, J.)