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Orissa High Court
Maa Durga vs State Of Odisha & Others on 9 February, 2026
ORISSA HIGH COURT : CUTTACK
WP(C) No.36824 of 2025
An application under Articles 226 & 227 of the Constitution of
India.
***
Maa Durga, Women Self Help Group, Konagaon,
Boriguma Block represented through its President,
Ranjeeta Bisoi, District-Korapaut
... Petitioner.
-VERSUS-
State of Odisha & Others
... Opposite Parties.
Counsel appeared for the parties:
For the Petitioner : Mr. M.K. Mohapatra, Advocate
For the Opposite Parties : Mr. S. Nayak, ASC
P R E S E N T:
HONOURABLE
MR. JUSTICE ANANDA CHANDRA BEHERA
Date of Hearing : 04.02.2026 :: Date of Judgment : 09.02.2026
J UDGMENT
ANANDA CHANDRA BEHERA, J.--
1. This writ petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the
Constitution of India, 1950 has been filed by the petitioner-
WSHG praying for directing the Sub-Collector, Jeypore,
Koraput to dispose of the representation dated 09.12.2025
(Annexure-8) of the petitioner-WSHG and also to direct the
Opp. Party No.5 (Chief Civil Supplies Officer-Cum-District
Manager, Koraput) for the issuance of handling order of the
Kanagaon Mandi to the petitioner-WSHG for procurement of
paddy for KMS 2025-26 (Kharif) and not to engage any other
new SHGS/ LAMPS/Pani Panchayats for handling Kanagaon
Mandi during paddy procurement for KMS 2025-26 till the
disposal of the representation dated 09.12.2025 (Annexure-8)
of the Petitioner and to pass any other order/orders as the
Court deems fit and proper.
2. The case of the petitioner-WSHG is that, the petitioner-
WSHG along with 24 other WSHG were handling their
respective village Mandis during 2025 Rabi procurement
season under Jeypore RMC sub-Division. They (petitioner)
along with all 24 WSHGs gave representations on dated
09.12.2025 to the sub-Collector, Jeypore to allow them to
handle their respective village Mandis as before during
procurement for KMS 2025-26 (Kharif season). The annexure-
8 dated 09.12.2025 is the presentation of the petitioner before
the Sub-Collector, Jeypore. All the representations including
Annexure-8 of the petitioner-WSHG were published in the
daily newspapers as per Annexure-9 to draw the attention of
the farmers as well as the higher authorities. In the meantime,
though the authorities finalized the handling of other village
Mandis with some Pani Panchayats and LAMPS, but, they did
not give the handling order of the village Mandi to the
petitioner-WSHG, though, the farmers of the operational area
of its village Mandi have already been received their
registration codes, token numbers with reflection of the date
of procurement of paddy from last week of December-2025 to
last week of Jan-2026 along with place of Mandi, without
indicating the exact date and time for the same. For which,
the petitioner is very much apprehensive. Till yet, the
authorities are not finalizing the handling of Kanagaon Mandi
in favour of the petitioner-WSHG with some malafide political
vendetta. Therefore, the action of the authorities more
specifically Opp. Party No.5 and 6 for not finalizing the
handling of Kanagaon Mandi in favour of the petitioner-WSHG
is highly illegal. For which, necessary direction is required to
be given to the Opp. Parties to finalize the handling of
Kanagaon Mandi in favor of the petitioner-WSHG. The
petitioner-WSHG has already incurred expenditures,
Mobilizing the farmers and purchasing required materials for
handling such Mandi. If the handling of Kanagaon Mandi
shall not be given to the petitioner-WSHG and if the same will
be given to any other LAMPS/PAC, then, the petitioner-WSHG
shall sustain serious financial loss and shall be prejudiced.
For which, without getting any way, the petitioner-WSHG
approached this Court by filing this writ petition praying for
directing the Opp. Parties to allow the petitioner-WSHG for
handling the Kanagaon Mandi for procurement of paddy for
KMS 2025-26 and not to engage/select any other new
LAMPS/PAC to handle that Mandi.
3. The Opp. Party Nos.3 and 5 have submitted their
counter affidavit objecting to the writ petition of the petitioner
stating that, mere submission of the representation does not
bind the authorities, nor does it override administrative
decisions of the same in accordance with the policy. The
engagement of LAMPS/Pani Panchayats in certain areas for
certain Mandis have been made on the basis of suitability and
administrative exigency. Therefore, the writ petition filed by
the petitioner is liable to be dismissed.
4. I have already heard from the learned counsel for the
petitioner and the learned Addl. Standing Counsel for the
State.
5. After hearing from the learned counsels of both the sides
and taking the writ petition and the counter affidavit of the
Opp. Party Nos.3 & 5 into account, it is held that, the
petitioner-WSHG has submitted its representation on dated
09.12.2025 (Annexure-8) before the Sub-Collector, Jeypore
praying for allowing the petitioner-WSHG for handling
Kanagaon Mandi for the paddy procurement for KMS 2025-26
for the welfare and benefit of the registered farmers of the said
Mandi, but, the said representation dated 09.12.2025
(Annexure-8) of the petitioner-WSHG has not been disposed of
by the Sub-Collector, Jeypore till yet.
Therefore, the prayer of the petitioner-WSHG to direct
the Sub-Collector, Jeypore for disposing of the representation
dated 09.12.2025 (Annexure-8) of the petitioner-WSHG cannot
be disallowed, though, the other prayers of the petitioner-
WSHG cannot be allowed.
For which, the writ petition filed by the petitioner-WSHG
is to be allowed in part.
6. As such, there is some merit in the writ petition filed by
the petitioner-WSHG. The same is to be allowed in part.
7. In result the writ petition filed by the petitioner is
allowed in part.
The Sub-Collector, Jeypore in the District of Koraput is
directed to dispose of the representation dated 09.12.2025
(Annexure-8) of the petitioner-WSHG pending before him
within a period of 15 days from the date of filing of the
certified copy of this Judgment after giving opportunity of
being heard to the members of the petitioner-WSHG and
others, if any, and to intimate the result of the disposal of the
representation to the petitioner-WSHG.
8. As such, this writ petition filed by the petitioner is
disposed of finally.
(ANANDA CHANDRA BEHERA)
JUDGE
High Court of Orissa, Cuttack
The 09 .02. 2026// Rati Ranjan Nayak
Sr. Stenographer
Location: High Court of Orissa, Cuttack, India.
