Akhtar Alam v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

10.01.2023 mb W.P.A. No. 23638 of 2022 Aktar Alam Vs.

The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Balaram Pandit, Mr. Anjan Dutta ... for the petitioner Mr. Ashim Kumar Ganguly, Mr. Bellal Sheikh ...for the State Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner contends that the petitioner sought information from the Block Land & Land Reforms Officer, but the same was refused on the ground of non-availability of all the records.

Consequently, an appeal was preferred before the appellate authority. However, six months have elapsed but the said appeal has not yet been disposed by the appellate authority.

Learned counsel appearing for the State submits that the law provides a remedy by way of a second appeal before the appropriate forum under the Right to Information Act and, as such, the instant writ petition is premature and ought not to be entertained. Be that as it may, since the limited grievance of the petitioner is that the appeal preferred by the petitioner is being delayed inordinately, W.P.A. No.

23638 of 2022 is disposed of by directing the respondent no. 3, being the appellate authority, to dispose of the appeal pending at the behest of the petitioner as expeditiously as possible, preferably within two months from date.

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 of all necessary formalities.

(Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, J.)