Calcutta High CourtWPA/383/2022disposed

S. Muthumalai v. The Andaman And Nicobar Administration And ANR.

2022-08-26Hon'Ble Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya2 pages

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side [ CIRCUIT BENCH AT PORT BLAIR ] ...

WPA/383/2022 S. Muthumalai ... Petitioner Vs.

Andaman and Nicobar Administration and others ... Respondents Ms. G. Mini ... for the petitioner Mr. Shatadru Chakraborty Mr. Ramendu Agarwal ... for the respondents August 26, 2022 [SR] Item No.23 The conduct of the authorities in sitting over four representations made by the petitioner including a legal notice from 17.11.2020 to 5.11.2021 in the matter of renewal of license of the petitioner as "petition writer" at the Tehsil office premises at Port Blair Tehsil is a reflection of the tardy attitude of the Administration.

It is not the case that the petitioner has applied for licence for the first time. The petitioner was granted a licence on 9.3.2017 which expired on 31.12.2017. The authorities renewed the licence 3 times thereafter from 31.12.2018, 31.12.2019 and till 31.12.2020. All these documents are on record.

The representations made by the petitioner stating all the relevant facts from 17.11.2020 have been ignored by the Administration and the petitioner has been kept in a limbo from November 2020 till date.

The objection raised on the part of the authorities by learned counsel that the credential of the petitioner may be weighed for renewal of the licence is not acceptable since the petitioner's licence has been renewed 3 times before the petitioner was constrained to approach the Court. In fact, the conduct of the respondents in keeping the petitioner in a continued state of unemployment merits appropriate costs. It is only on the request of counsel appearing for the Administration that the Court restrains itself from imposing costs on the Administration.

The Administration shall however take steps, as directed below, within the shortest possible time.

WPA/383/2022 is allowed and disposed of with a direction on the concerned respondents to renew the licence of the petitioner as petition writer, as was done in the last several occasions, within a period of a fortnight from date. The written communication of the renewal by the concerned respondent shall be made available to the petitioner within an outer limit of 3 weeks from today.

( Moushumi Bhattacharya, J.)