Snigdha Rani Panda v. The State Of West Bengal And ORS.

02.09.2025 Sl. No. 78 AMR Ct.No.15 WPA 19562 of 2025 Snigdha Rani Panda -vs.- The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Barun Kumar Samanta ...for the petitioners Mr. Pantu Deb Roy, Ld. AGP Mr. Subrata Guha Biswas ...for the State The following facts are not in dispute. The petitioner was issued an offer letter dated January 29, 2025, for the grant of a permanent stage carriage permit (Inter-State Permit).

Pursuant to the said offer letter, the petitioner purchased a vehicle and, thereafter, on June 26, 2025, prayed for extension of the offer period as contained in the offer letter dated June 26, 2025.

The grievance of the petitioner is that such extension was not granted and that the Secretary, State Transport Authority, West Bengal, is not issuing the permit for the vehicle.

The relevant provision regarding the validity period of an offer letter is contained under Section 141

of the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which reads as follows:

"141.

Every permit must contain the Registration Mark(s) of the vehicles(s) which shall ply by virtue of the permit granted and during the period prescribed by the Transport Authority granting the permit in the offer letter which shall not normally exceed one month from the date on which the offer letter is issued, the grantee must produce the documents in respect of the vehicle(s) showing that he is in possession of the vehicle(s) as owner thereof and that the change of address of vehicle(s) concerned has been effected to within his State, if previously registered outside this State, and that the vehicle(s) is/are not covered by any kind of permits(s):

Provided that the Transport Authority granting the permit may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, extend the validity of the offer letter up to six months from the date of issue of the same in exceptional cases."

It, however, appears from the offer letter that the petitioner was directed to place the relevant vehicle within 180 days from the date of issuance of the offer letter and to furnish the necessary documents before the office for issuance of the permit. The relevant segment of the offer letter is quoted below: "He is requested to place a complaint Vehicle with specifications as given overleaf within 180 days from the date of issue of this offer letter and furnish to this office the following documents within the aforesaid date for taking necessary action to issue permit on realization of prescribed fees by this office."

In my view, since the authority itself granted 180 days' time to the petitioner for placement of the

vehicle, it must be construed that the petitioner has complied with the requirement by producing the vehicle within the stipulated period.

In that view of the matter, no further extension of the offer letter is required. The petitioner, within two weeks from date, shall apply with all necessary documents for issuance of the permit before the State Transport Authority, who shall consider the application for issuance of the permit in accordance with law within a period of four weeks thereafter.

With the above observations, the instant writ petition, being WPA 19562 of 2025, is disposed of. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be given to the parties upon compliance of all necessary formalities.

(Kausik Chanda, J.)