Ram Bichar Singh v. The State of Bihar

Awadhesh Kumar, Son of Late Rajendra Singh, Resident of Village- Rasulpur, Turki, P.O.- Asoi, P.S.-Bhagwanpur, District- Vaishali (Bihar).

Anirudh Kumar, Son of Hiraman Prasad, Resident of Village- Bara Khurd, P.O.- Bara Khurd, P.S.- Noorsarai, District- Nalanda (Bihar).

Sushil Kumar, Son of Late Bindeshwar Prasad Singh, Resident of Village- Oknawan, P.O. - Meghi, P.S.-Dipnagar, District- Nalanda (Bihar).

Arun Kumar Singh, Son of Jagdish Prasad Singh, Resident of Village- Malinagar, P.O.- Malinagar, P.S.-Chakmehsi, District- Samastipur (Bihar).

Subhas Kumar, Son of Late Musafir Yadav, Resident of Village - Salempur, P.O.- Brit Bhagwanpur, P.S.- Panapur, District-Saran (Bihar). Raja Ram Kumar, Son of Late Narayan Kumar, Resident of Village- Kabela, P.O.- Kabela, P.S.- Parbatta, District- Khagaria (Bihar).

Arun Kumar, Son of Late Lal Bahadur Singh, Resident of Village- Pheku Bigha, P.O.- Jalpura, P.S.- Arwal, District- Arwal (Bihar).

Chhabila Prasad Yadav, Son of Late Nand Kishore Prasad Yadav, Resident of Village- Noneya Pandey, Ward No.3, P.O.- Noneya Pandey, P..S.- Paharpur, District- East Champaran (Bihar).

Randhir Bhardwaj, Son of Surendra Nath Rai, Resident of Mohalla Subhankerpur New Colony, Subhankerpur, P.S.- Town Near Badri Narayan Mandir, P.O. Thana, District- Darbhanga (Bihar).

Ram Bichar Singh, Son of Sri Yugeshwar Prasad Singh @ Yogeshwar Prasad Singh, Resident of Village-Rajjupura, P.O.-Katsa, P.S.-Bheldi, District- Saran (Bihar).

Satyendra Prasad Singh, Son of Shankar Prasad Singh, Resident of Village- Sakra Faridpur, P.O.- Dholi, P.S.- Sakra, District- Muzaffarpur (Bihar).

Tanwirul Haque, Son of Md. Sayeedul Haque, Resident of Village Rahika, Moin Tola, Ward No.4, P.O.- Rahika, P.S.- Rahika, District- Madhubani (Bihar).

Dhirendra Prasad Dhir, Son of Ram Baran Gope, Resident of Village Bulakipur, P.O.- Kamraon, P.S.- Dalsinghsarai, District- Samastipur (Bihar).

Awadhesh Kumar Sharma, Son of Late Siya Ram Sharma, Resident of Village- Vishwaspur, P.O.- Chirayya, P.S.-Amarpur, District- Banka and presently residing at C/o Shyamanand Chaudhary, F.No. NE0110028, Mohalla- Durgasthan, P.O.-Katihar, P.S.- Katihar District- Katihar (Bihar). Patna High Court CWJC No.8174 of 2024(2) dt.16-05-2024

Santosh Kumar Singh, Son of Ram Roop Singh, Resident of Village- Gotpa, P.O. Gotpa, P.S.- Bikramganj, District- Rohtas (Bihar).

Anil Kumar Mishra, Son of Shiv Shankar Mishra, Resident of Village- Mohanapur, P.O.- Barahara Mir, P.S.- Maharajganj, District- Maharajganj (U.P.).

Sanjay Kumar, Son of Late Shyam Kishor Singh, Resident of Village- Mahathin Tola, P.O.- Baligaon, P.S.- Ayar, District- Bhojpur (Bihar).

Binod Kumar, Son of Late Ram Briksh Sah, Resident of Mohalla- South Patel Nagar, Ward No. 6, P.O.- Islampur, P.S.- Islampur, District-Nalanda (Bihar).

Binod Kumar Yadav, Son of Indra Narayan Yadav, Resident of Village- Shivram, P.O.- Shivram, P.S.- Bahera, District- Darbhanga (Bihar).

Ramanand Kumar, Son of Vidya Prasad Mehta, Resident of Village- Bhawanipur, P.O.- Dighari, P.S.- Surajgarha, District- Lakhisarai (Bihar).

Amar Kumar, Son of Late Avinash Chandra Yadav, Resident of Village Chausa, P.O.- Chausa, P.S.- Chausa, District- Madhepura (Bihar).

Pradeep Kumar Bharti, Son of Jagdish Bharti, Resident of Village- Devkuli Dharampur P.O.- Kamruli, P.S. Piprahi, District-Sheohar (Bihar).

Purushottam Singh, Son of Bindeshwari Singh, Resident of Village- Hemanbigha, P.O.- Dihara, P.S.- Obra, District- Aurangabad (Bihar).

Mahendra Ram Pal, Son of Ganga Ram Pal, Resident of Village- Rampur, P.O.- Rampur, P.S.- Rajpur, District-Buxar (Bihar).

Shreeram Suman, Son of Late Jay Narayan Prasad, Resident of Village- Parthu, P.O.- Parthu, P.S.- Ekangarsarai, District- Nalanda (Bihar).

Shashi Bhushan Yadav, Son of Bhola Nath Yadav, Resident of Village- Maharaj Ke Tola, P.O.- Khawashpur, P.S.- Krishnagarh, District- Bhojpur (Bihar).

Dharmendra Kumar Sharma, Son of Krishna Sharma, Resident of Village- Jafra, P.O.- Tishkhora, P.S.-Naubatpur, District-Patna (Bihar).

Rakesh Kumar Singh, Son of Late Rajendra Prasad, Resident of Village- Navtolia, Jamalpur Road, P.O.-Munger, P.S.- Kashim Bazar,, District- Munger (Bihar).

Satish Kumar Rai, Son of Late Anand Rai, Resident of Village Khudura, P.O.- Salemgarh, P.S.- Tamkuhi Raj, District Kushinagar (U.P.).

Mithilesh Kumar Kranti, Son of Hari Nandan Yadav, Resident of Village- Naulakhiya, Ward no.1, Near CMS College, P.O.- Madhepura, P.S.- Madhepura, District- Madhepura (Bihar).

Mithilesh Kumar Chaudhary, Son of Kirshna Bahadur Chaudhary, Resident of Village- Maheshpur, Ward No. 9, P.O.- Maheshpur, P.S.- Maheshpur, District- Supaul (Bihar).

Madan Kumar Singh, Son of Suresh Prasad Singh, Resident of Village- Chautham, Ward no. 8, P.O.- Chautham, P.S.- Chautham, District- Khagaria (Bihar).

Kumar Ranjan Sinha, Son of Ram Anek Prasad, Resident of Village- Sahilaballi, P.O.- Sahilaballi, P.S.-Aurai, District-Muzaffarpur (Bihar). Patna High Court CWJC No.8174 of 2024(2) dt.16-05-2024

Vijay Kumar Singh, Son of Late Lal Bahadur Singh, Resident of Village- Chiraiya, P.O.- Barahi Jagdish, P.S.-Purnahiya, District- Sheohar (Bihar).

Mukesh Kumar Singh, Son of Late Sahdeo Prasad Singh, Resident of Village-Maithi, P.O.- Maithi, P.S.- Gayghat, District-Muzaffarpur (Bihar).

Hari Bhushan Kumar, Son of Satya Narayan Kumar, Resident of Village- Bangaon, P.O.- Bangaon, P.S.- Bajpatti, District- Sitamarhi (Bihar) and presently residing at 30G, 7th Phase Adarshnagar, Sonari, P.O.-Sonari, P.S.- Sonari, District- Jamshedpur, (Jharkhand).

Ram Sudhar Ray, Son of Domi Ray, Resident of Village- Parshurampur, P.O.- Parshurampur, P.S.- Parsauni, District Sitamarhi (Bihar).

Vishnu Shankar, Son of Late Vinod Kumar Singh @ Vinod Kumar Sinha, Resident of Village- Nuaon, P.O.- Nuaon, P.S.- Nuaon, District- Kaimur (Bihar).

Subhash Mishra, Son of Nand Kishor Mishra, Resident of Village- Janki Nagar, P.O. Singhwahini, P.S. Sonbarsa, District- Sitamarhi (Bihar).

Sunil Kumar Jha, Son of Late Krishna Kant Jha, Resident of Village Davara, P.O.- Davara, P.S.- Tarabari, District-Araria (Bihar).

Rajeev Kumar Singh, Son of Late Phuleshwar Prasad Singh, Resident of Village- Parora, Ward no. 9, P.O.- Sanha, P.S. Sahebpur Kamal, District- Begusarai (Bihar).

Amit Kumar Pandey, Son of Manik Chand Pandey, Resident of Village- Damodarpur, P.O.- Gadhwar, P.S.- Gadhwar, District- Ballia (U.P.).

Dhananjay Prasad @ Dhananjay Kumar, Son of Ramchandra Prasad, Resident of Village- Gariba Tola, Shitab Diara, P.O- Shitab Diara, P.S. Rivilganj, District- Saran (Bihar).

Rajesh Kumar, Son of Ramrup Prasad Yadav, Resident of Village- Rajpur, Sarsandi, Ward No. 6, P.O.- Gwalpara, P.S.- Gwalpara, District- Madhepura (Bihar).

Manoj Kumar, Son of Late Ramdeo Mahto, Resident of Village- Surajpur, P.O.- Ujiyarpur, P.S.- Ujiyarpur, District- Samastipur (Bihar).

Umesh Prasad Singh, Son of Late Bhagwat Singh, Resident of Village - Bishunpur Bedaulia, P.O.- Bishunpur Bedaulia, P.S.- Jandaha, District- Vaishali (Bihar).

Manish Kumar, Son of Late Pramod Jha, Resident of Village Bardaha, P.O. Amari, P.S.- Khodavandpur, District- Begusarai (Bihar).

Santosh Kumar Jha, Son of Bhupal Jha, Resident of Mohalla- East of Raj Pokhar, Laxmipur, P.O.- Laheriasarai, P.S.- Laheriasarai, District- Darbhanga (Bihar).

Ved Prakash, Son of Late Ram Narayan Prasad Yadav, Resident of Village Maharana, P.O.- Dharhara, P.S.- Dharhara, District- Munger (Bihar).

Raj Kumar Singh, Son of Lalchand Yadav, Resident of Village Panchhor, P.O.- Riga, P.S.- Riga, District- Sitamarhi (Bihar).

Kaushlendra Kumar, Son of Late Janak Prasad, Resident of Village- Durjan Chak, P.O.- Saksohra, P.S.- Saksohra, District- Patna (Bihar).

Gautam Singh, Son of Late Chokat Singh, Resident of Village- Medinipur, Narayan Tola, P.O.- Khushalnagar, P.S.- Ghughali, District-Maharajganj Patna High Court CWJC No.8174 of 2024(2) dt.16-05-2024 (U.P.).

Randhir Kumar, Son of Mohan Prasad Sinha @ Mohan Prasad, Resident of Mohalla- Chitragupta Nagar, Pokharia, Ward No. 37, P.O.- Begusarai, P.S.- Begusarai Town, District- Begusarai (Bihar).

Shailesh Kumar, Son of Ram Balak Ray, Resident of Village- Sikandarpur, P.O.- Rajaura, P.S.- Muffasil Begusarai, District- Begusarai (Bihar).

Pankaj Kumar, Son of Late Arun Kumar Singh, Resident of Mohalla- Lohia Nagar, Ward No. 28, P.O.- Suhird Nagar, P.S.-Begusarai Town, District- Begusarai (Bihar).

Nadim Ashraf, Son of Nasim Uddin, Resident of Village- Mobarakchak, P.O.- Bank, P.S.- Muffasil, District- Munger (Bihar).

Sanjay Kumar, Son of Ram Chandra Kumar, Resident of Village Kon Bazidpur, P.O.- Kon Bazidpur, P.S.- Samastipur Town, District- Samastipur (Bihar). ... ... Petitioner/s

9. Versus The State of Bihar through the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, Patna. The Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, Patna. The Additional Chief Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of Bihar, Patna. The Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, Patna. The Director Horticulture, Directorate of Horticulture, Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, Patna. The Bihar Public Service Commission, through its Chairman, 15, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Bailey Road, Patna. The Chairman, Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar, 15, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Bailey Road, Patna. The Secretary, Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar, 15, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Bailey Road, Patna. The Examination Controller, Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar, Patna. ... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Y.V. Giri, Sr., Advocate Mr. Nityanand Mishra, Advocate Mr. Alok Abhinav, Advocate Mr. Nityanand Mishra, Advocate Mr. Dhirjate Kumar Prasad-G.P.-14 For the State : For the Respondent (B.P.S.C.) : Mr. Sanjay Pandy, Advocate Mr. Nishant Kr. Jha, Advocate ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE BIBEK CHAUDHURI ORAL ORDER 2 16-05-2024 The petitioners are contractual Block Horticulture Patna High Court CWJC No.8174 of 2024(2) dt.16-05-2024 Officers. They were appointed on contract basis on 1st October, 2013 and since then they have been working continuously in the same post. On 12th September, 2022, the Directorate of Horticulture, Government of Bihar passed an order stating inter- alia that in accordance with the decision taken by the General Administration Department on 11th September, 2022, which was duly passed by the Cabinet of Bihar State Legislature it was decided that the Block Horticulture Officers, who were appointed on contract basis would continue with their work till their attainment of age of 60 years or till their regular appointment.

The petitioners are aggrieved with the advertisement letter for regular appointment of Block Horticulture Officers (Annexure-P/8) on the ground that in the said advertisement list, the petitioners were not given relaxation of age.

Learned Advocate for the respondents, on the other hand, refers to the proviso Clause of Annexure-P/8 which says :- ^^fof/kor fu; ksftr ,oa dk; Zjr lafonk dfeZ;ksa dks leku in ij lh/kh HkrhZ ds rgr fu; fer fu; qfDr esa vf/kdre mez lhek esa mrus o’kksZaa rd dh NwV nh tk; sxh] ftrus o’kksZa rd muds }kjk fcgkj ljdkj vFkok fcgkj jkT; vUnj vofLFkr xSj&futh laLFkku (;Fkk&Hkkjr ljdkj] uxj fudk;] iapk;r vkfn) esa lafonk ds vk/kkj ij leku in ij dk;Z fd;k x;k gks] tks fnukad& 01-08-2023 dks vf/kdre 60 o’kZ ls vf/kd u gks^^A

4. Thus, it is submitted by him that the petitioners will Patna High Court CWJC No.8174 of 2024(2) dt.16-05-2024 get relaxation of age till the date upto which they are in service on similar post. In view of such circumstances, the petitioner cannot have any grievance.

5. Learned Y.V. Giri, learned Senior Counsel on behalf of the petitioners next draws my attention to the Government of Bihar, Agricultural Department Notification dated 11th March, 2014 by virtue of which Agriculture Coordinator Cadre (Recruitment & Service Conditions) Rules 2014 was promulgated. He refers to Rule-6 of the said Rules where the age limit for direct recruitment is mentioned.

6. It is also submitted by the leaned Senior Advocate for the petitioners that since the petitioners have been working as Block Horticulture Officers for more than ten years and the nature of service is akin to regular employment. They may be regularised first and thereafter, the department may initiate the proceeding of direct recruitment. Thus, the petitioners do not want to appear in the open examination on the ground that they have performed their duties as Block Horticulture Officers for continuous period of ten years or more.

7. It is not the law that whenever there is contractual employment, the contractual employees get indivisible right to be regularised. Regularization of contractual employment is an exception to the general Rule. When the contractual employees Patna High Court CWJC No.8174 of 2024(2) dt.16-05-2024 are permitted to compete the recruitment examination and for such competition, the Authority relaxed the age limit, agreed to give weight-age mark for certain years of job, they cannot claim to be employed directly without examination on the basis of their contractual employment.

The decisions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court starting from Uma Devi (3) till Vinod Kumar and Ors. etc. vs. Union of India and Ors. decided on 30th January, 2024 arising out of SLP(C) Nos.22241-42 of 2016 relates to a circumstance where the contractual employees are left out from being appointed in regular cadre. The above mentioned reports are distinguishable with the instant case, because in the instant case, the contractual employees have given the right and permission to appear in the examination by virtue of relaxation of age for the entire period, when they worked as Block Horticulture Officers on contractual employment and thirdly, it is decided to give weight-age to the petitioners at the time of consideration of their selection.

9. In view of the above circumstances, this Court finds that the petitioners cannot directly claim regular appointment on the basis of their length of service in contractual appointment and accordingly, the prayer made by the petitioners cannot be entertained. The writ petition is, therefore, dismissed. Patna High Court CWJC No.8174 of 2024(2) dt.16-05-2024

10. It is submitted by the learned senior Advocate for the petitioners that the last date of submission of form has already been expired.

11. Considering the decision of this Court, the Commission is directed to relax the last date of submission of forms for the petitioners by seven days only.

12. The learned Advocate for the State-respondents have raised vehement objection to it.

13. However, this Court is not in a position to accept such objection made by the learned Advocate for the State because of the fact that during this period, the petitioners diligently pursued the instant case with the hope that they will be regularized. If during this period that last date of filling up of forms for direct recruitment expires, the Rule of natural justice demands that they should get a chance to fill up their forms. (Bibek Chaudhuri, J) siwani/mdrashid U