IN6! v. State of Chhattisgarh

SINGLE BENCH : HON'BLE MR. SATISH K. ASNIHOTRI. J. WRIT PETITION (S.l N0.796 OF 2007 Petitidner : Smt. Kaleshwari vereus Respondents : StateofChhatUsgarh and others 1 WRITPETITK)N(S.IN0.7970F2007 1 • • ' • • . • . . • ' .'.•.' ' '' . Petitioner : Smt. Gulapati yersys Respondsnte StateofChhattisgarh and others ' •• Petftioner : Smt. Urmila WRIT PETITION fS.)N0.799 OF 2007 .'''•'•.' . '.•^•: • • " ,..'..'.' .,'"'. •.. ' • ' ' ' (• - ' • i •' . ' versus Respondents : State of Chhattisgarh and othere 1 WRITPETmON (S.IN0.8000F 2007 Petitioner : Smt. KiranDevi versus Respondents : State of Chhattisgarhand others WRITPETITION (S.1N0.801 OF 2007 Petitioner : Snlt. Sheela Bai . versus ••'••.. ' " .' ! ; • ' . . . ' 1 '•• • . • . • . •.'.'. •••...••' Respondents : SterteofChhattisgarhandothere '^ [^ WRTT PETITIONfS.l N0.802 OF 2007 Petitioher Smt. Chandrakali versus Respondente : StateofChhattisgarhandothers 1 WRITPETmON(S.lNO.«»30F2007 Petitioner : Smt. Mamta Patel 1:• , ' : versus Respohdents : StateofChhattisgartiandothers WRIT PETmON(S.lN0.8040F2007 Petitioher : Mst. SarojJaiswal versus Respondente : State of Chhattisgarh and others WRtT PETmON (S.i N0.805 OF2007 Petitkiher : Smt. Shivmatl : i ' : ' ' versus • Respohdents : StateofChhattisgarhandothers wRrr pETrrioN (S.iNO.806 OF2007 Petitioner : Smt. Sushma Singh versus Respohdents : StateofChhattisgarhandothers F'resent : Mr. V.K.Pandey, counsel for the petiUoners. Mr. V.V.S.Moorthy, Deputy Advocate General with Mr. Arvind Dubey, Panel Lawyer for the State/respondents. None appeare for other respondents. ORDER (Passsd on 9^ Day of February.2007) The common question of law involved in the present writ petitions js as to whether the District Collector has power to appotnt Anganl^acli Workers. The facts of the writ petitions are ateosimilar. Thus, the present writ petitfons are being clubbed together and being consid^r^dand deckled bya common prder.

The facts, in nutshell, are that ttie petitioners along wlth others submltted their applicaUons for appointment on the post of Anganbadi Workers at various places in Amblkapur, District Surguja. The Panchayat, on the basis of a resolution.prepared a panel. The said p^nel was examined by ftie Project Ofncer. Woman and Chitd Devel^pment, Ambikapur, District Surguja and was placed before the Chlef g^ecutive Officer, Janpad Panchayat, Pratappur, who approved the lisflofcandidatesforappotntmentandsenttheentirerecordstothe )i|, Ambikapur, Disfriet Surguja. The District Programme Officer, Woman and Child Development Department, Ambikapur, Oistrict Surguja, under the order of the Collector, issued an appointment order on 18-tl-2007 (P.1).

| (' ' • The maincontenUon ofMr V.K.Pandey.leamedcounsel appearing for the petffioners is that the impugned appointment order dated 18-1-2007 (P-1), whereln the petitioneredid not find place, was passetl jby an incompetent Qfflcer as nelther the Collector nor ttie Distriqt i Programme Officer, Woman ancl Chlld Development ••\ Depar^nent, Ambfkapur competent appolnt Anganbadl Wori^r^Sahayilcas.

Leamed counsel appearing 1w the pstitioners relied on a cireular dated ®-1-2000issu8Clby the Woman and Child Development Depaftottent, Govemment of Madhya Practesh. The said clrcular provides for appointment of Anganbadi Wortcers and Sahayilcas by Janpad Panchayats in rural areas and by the concemed Municipal Corporation/Municipatity/Nagar Panchayat in urban areas. It is ftirther provided in thecircutardated 6-1-2000 that this cireular is in continyafion of the eariier circular of the Gpvemment for appoinhnent. The said circular dated 6-1-2000 refere toearllercireular dated 27-5-

1996. | Thereafter, one rnore circular dated 29-10-1 996 was issued by ....'.'•.'• -;. the Govemment in continuation of the eartier circular dated 27-5-1996, ''•.•' •' '' - ' ' ' . whejr^under inparaS, It ts provided that the Janpad Panchayat should 1 ~J. ' .. • . • 1 '.- •:... . pas^the appointmentorderwithinaperiodofthree weeks on receipt of . . -.. . . ' proposal. ! 1 : In default, the appolntment order can be passed by the . . ' cohcerned Child DevelopmentProgramme Officer on approval from the Collector.

i The relevant part of the circular dated 27-5-1996 issued ^ byj the Woman and Child Deyetopment Department, Govemment of i ~ : . ; • : , Madhya Pradesh reads as under:- "ftqq- ^4- ail'l'ltilA ^iTifegfaff ^ 'Si?lRwi3(f ^t ^t^f^f 1 3ng9?r, 'qf^sn ^q WH RtbW cCT 3(rS?[ <t't)l<t'/3)l^'tflil>{'t)/1?.^ff.3ft. -1<;t/95/3732/^TO; 26.9.95 XpT lt?l> cbBI?lfcth Sht.IT> t^ M ^iy ME ^. BfeB. fllS 1 ^ li'ify f. ^U" ^ty ^ ^: Slfiilfe tjah ^ ^3. Jiilfi Eb^ l^t i^jEy ^ jJ£ t?)l?»> bhUlft •9^ h.Jny ll?iaj ^ ph.lb.h ^lbMilte 1MB JU<bj? ^l «- ^ ^u" ^<y uyiau is^y ^e fcil^ fete ^ IMPMP ^ J(1£^U£b& 1 ^ ^li. |?y |tb (Bhlbh MiU/ltbiajlh M>k/ki>y M>t> j< ^p inviui. usyyte t>i' f'- U0<l?y j^tBiK i^i"|j?yh ib^ fr y EI& pcytifriys os'ao 'B, cblU^J ^h uy&.>U, Ub|?ihP> cb |>llt.y JK>Jt)rtlJ»lf l,l<:'"b1S)lsw' Ip'llat-MKE; ugjBu. lu> 96'Qffa tt>ll"^J ?-(B/S6/e-9Z/8-8 <hh-<blk* ls.h |<bl»lhy 1 u^j&y ^fe jipicb^jiau. b?i pjuu>j?ia> ^•Ibt-itiif uj>u*if IUIn(l?yh lb|* IMtby t.llb U<yt,», -^t&iJfe. - h.hy,, -: jspun se spBsj MsspBJd B^MPSW JQ tuaiuiusAog 'tusuqjedsa psnssi 966l-01.-6ZPS»ep.ie|naii3sifl^o sved }ueA8|sj si)i »uaiudo|8A9a PU40 pue UBUJOAA syiAq •9 .-: ^ ^ua ^sy vyiH.n IS^UB i±iy^ ayt f. l^j1?y y> |tfld>yi9B, bh ^IPJUtbjTlcb ^lfeMtUS JalS h^ ^>tb i»?.y |>.IB vil.i?i |^* ^y i»kfty.iih (, j^ 1MS |- IR teifc Jaltt-IaU^ ^. j|J&^UE u>y&->» Uto(->ht\ ^ fr ^) iy& A& ip$)h l jia <sb Ph'ltth Mtb/ltfl^Jlh Mib/Uty i'dib U^u. ^ fe^ ^ai& £^ )UMt»h tihUlft j^ jl£^ layiUt B£ Usfel^e tt> uy1»y ^fe )if>iti>yiai.)t bh <y ^ ittlt Ifciy l?Jny JMB ,k ltii (K>jutbj?itb ^lfeblilie t^QL 1 i36& &S 'wlMie j^. 1 affs'si.isyfcy 'eZ8/yi-<lR'tth'h/BS>(^y^U£/iEUA (^ ^ ^Rqsrtt ?hn ft? PtgRa ^g U'WKI mm st^ ^3 wai? tf Pi^Rti sir^i y'HiRci q^ Wt •uirt! I ^ uiriuc; 4'^iocf ^ gra g^T araRt^f pi^J^f wEft Wv ^i€f ftrar uirai t (ittx^'to'i ^ 3i^Tte7( ^ siriT-wi^t ^pfoaNi ^ 'ugiRl*i3(f ^t Pi^ftci ftwtr yR4)ui<ii aiRpRi^ gre qftuff ^:ift i" '^HRtd The relevant part of ttie circular dated 6-1-2WQ issued by

Woman and Child Development Department, Govemment of T Mad^ Pradesh reads as under:- "f^SF!!:- ••ERff- »ll''ITl6ll^ •hl4't>df3(f T^ ;H?rRWI3ff qft Pt'tj.l^ri t . yn (Snw %i ira <t?*< vi? 8-3/95/5D f^tR'27.05.1996 wsi ww sre {^ifa ftpn TPIT 11^ i?q,fef ^ 3fl''t'1«lt^ *l'if*rtf<iTt ^ ^rei^WIsif q5t 3l|S|ft>l'i Ul41ti| ^3(F 4 ul'1l|<;;4ill'!l(l( Vt V V?f\ ^3 4 '•:PR ^TITIT/^TT'! 4lR|ct»l/'-T^? 4^1'yct ^ t ] ^rafSld 3<l'<WE|t^ 4>l4i*>tlM' 1?? ''RSTPRiTStf 41?llq Pl'^Rd ^wft 3((^r y'tiiRri f^ TT^ ^:-" ??( f?T^Rl 'gTQ ^

I Onperusalofthesaklcirculars(supra),itisevidentUiatin cas^ pf delay caused by the Janpad Panchayat in Issuing appointment ordferwlthin a period of three weete from fte recelptofa proposal, the Chjldj Development Programm®OfRcer, on approval by the Collector, carj pass theappotntment order. In the present case, It appeare that the impugned appoiritnient order was passed by the Distrlct Programme Offlcer, Woman and Chjld Development Deparftnent, Ambikapur, District Surguja on approval bytheCollwtor. The <?rder Is accordingty passed by a cipnipetent officer.

With regard to other allegations, the Anganbadi Workere are admittedly employees of tte Pancha^ts as their appointments are by the Janpad Panchayats on proposal made by the concemed Gram Panchayats.

The terms and conditjons of the seivicesof the petitioners are goVemed by the Madh^i Pradesh/Chhatt'sgarh Panchayat Raj AvatT^ 1 Gram Swaraj Adhjniyam,

1993. The Madhya Prad^s(i/Chhattisgarh Panchayats (Appeal and Revision) Rules, 1995 (hent^eforth 'the Rules, 1995'), framed in exercise of the powers conferred bysub-section (1) of Sech'on 95 readwtth Section 91 of the !• i •• " Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh PanchayatRaj Adhiniyam.1993 (No.1 of 1994) provldes for appeal or revision. Rule 3(b) of the Rules, 1995 .' ctearfy provides that in the case of an order passed by the Cotlector - ;- !: ;' ' ? • ' : ' ' ' . ! ! : under any provision of the Act or rutes or bye laws made thereunder to the Oommissioner. The word "Commissioner" in the Rutes, 1995 has Sjjbsdtuted by the words "Director of Panchayar by a notification 3-5-2003 (assed in exercjse of the powers conferred by sub- sectionl (1) of Section 95 read with Sectton 91 of the Chhattisgarh f^in^hayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993 (No.lof 1994). Thus, the appeal agairjist any order passed by the Collector is maintainabte before the Director of Panchayat, GovemmentofChhattisgarh.

The petlttonere statutory altematiye remedy ava^labte by way ofstatutofy appeal under Rule 3 of flie Rules, 1995 to the Dlrector of Panchayat, Govemment of Chhattisgarh. The petitioners, without exerclsing of that altemative remedy of statutory ap^eal, have approached this Court directly. 1

A copy of this order be placed on ffie record of the conn^qted writ petftions. Sd/- Satish K. Agnihotri Judge •^\. Gopal