Suvankar Barik vs State Of West Bengal And Ors
2026 Latest Caselaw 645 Cal/2

Calcutta High Court

Suvankar Barik vs State Of West Bengal And Ors on 6 February, 2026

OD-1
                             ORDER SHEET
                    IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA
                   CONSTITUTIONAL WRIT JURISDICTI0N
                             ORIGINAL SIDE

                                WPO/22/2026

                           SUVANKAR BARIK
                                 VS
                    STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.


  BEFORE:
  The Hon'ble JUSTICE SMITA DAS DE
  Date : 6th February, 2026.


                                                                       Appearance:
                                                          Mr. Saktipada Jana, Adv.
                                                                ....for the petitioner

                                                         Mr. Pantu Deb Roy, A.G.P.
                                                  Mr. Pannalal Bandopadhyay, Adv.
                                                    Mr. Subrata Guha Biswas, Adv.
                                                                    ....for the State


          The Court : The petitioner is an intending operator who made two

applications for grant of permit against the vacancy notice declared in respect

of Inter-State Route Cooch Bihar to Ranchi on 26.08.2025.

          However, the vacancy notice being Annexure P-2 at page 34 of the

petition mentions that applications against the vacancies shall only be

accepted from the 7th day after the date of notification of these vacancies or

from the date of uploading on the Department Website, whichever is later.

          The petitioner made two applications for the grant of permit on 28 th

August, 2025, after two days from the date of publication of the vacancy

notice but the same were rejected by the authority concerned on 25.11.2025.

The decision of the STA is at page 37 of the petition, which is enumerated

below :
                                         2


        "Two applications were received within debarred period for the Inter
        State Route as stated above. Members of the STA Board Considered
        and rejected the applications as mentioned in serial No. 1 and 2."


           Thereafter, two further applications were made by the petitioner on

25th November, 2025 after the date of expiry as mentioned in the vacancy

notice.

           The petitioner submits that in the light of the vacancy notice, the

two applications filed by the petitioner are not barred by limitation.

           Mr. Pantu Deb Roy, learned Additional Government pleader, fairly

submits that the route in question pertains to Inter-State Route guided by

Reciprocal Transport Agreement. There are only two vacancies but the

learned Counsel is unable to apprise the Court with regard to the filling up of

the said vacancies.

           After careful consideration of the case on the basis of the available

records, I direct the respondent authorities to consider the two applications

of the petitioner dated 25.11.2025, subject to the status of the filling up of

the vacancies against the Notice dated 26.8.2025 and shall pass a reasoned

order in accordance with law within a period of six weeks upon giving hearing

to the petitioner or its representative and other interested parties, if any, and

communicate such decision to the petitioner accordingly.

The writ petition is disposed of without going into the merits of the

case.

(SMITA DAS DE, J.)

gb.