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Orissa High Court
Sandhyarani Panda vs State Of Odisha Represented on 26 February, 2026
Author: V. Narasingh
Bench: V. Narasingh
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK
W.P.(C) No. 5415 of 2026
1. Sandhyarani Panda
2. Gobardhan Dwary
3. Padmalaya Mohapatra
4. Laxmikanta Malik .... Petitioner
Mr. A. Das, Sr. Advocate
With
Ms. S.R. Panda, Advocate
-versus-
1. State of Odisha represented
through its Principal
Secretary to Govt.
Panchayat Raj and Drinking
Water Department, At-New
Secretariat, Bhubaneswar,
Khurda
2. Director Panchayat Raj and
Drinking Water Department,
At-Directorate Building,
BBSR, Khurda
3. Collector and District
Magistrate, Balasore
4. CDO-cum-Executive Officer,
Zilla Parishad, Balasore
5. Block Development Officer, .... Opposite Parties
Soro, Balasore
Mr. M.R. Mohanty, AGA
CORAM: JUSTICE V. NARASINGH
ORDER
26.02.2026
Order No.
02. 1. Heard learned counsel for the Petitioners and
learned counsel for the State.
2. The Petitioners claiming to be Sarpanch of
different Gram Panchayats under Soro Block have
assailed the inaction of the Opposite Parties in
executing the project list circulated under letter dated
10.07.2025 approving the projects under the scheme
Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha for the financial year
2024-25 at Annexure-6.
3. During the course of hearing, it came to the fore
that in the meanwhile there is modification of the
guidelines for Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha Scheme
whereby the current approving authority has been
mentioned in 8.1 thereof. The copy of the resolution is
on record at Annexure-7 and paragraph-8 of the said
resolution dealing with Substitution of Para 8
(Approving Authority), which is germane for
consideration of the grievance of the Petitioner, is
extracted hereunder:-
"(B) Substitution of Para 8 (Approving
Authority) with the following.
8.1 - There will be a District Level Committee
under the chairmanship of the Collector-cum-
Chief Executive Officer. Chief Development
Officer-cum-Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad of
the concerned District will act as Member-
Convener with Additional District Magistrate
(General), SE/EE of the Rural Development
Department and APD, Technical Zilla Parishad as
the members.
8.2- The District Level Committee; after receipt
of the project list from the Gram Sabha and
considering all the proposals received as per
Para 7.2 will scrutinize the admissibility and
feasibility of the projects and finalize the
projects as per local need & priority keeping in
view of the financial allocation for the financial
year.
8.3- List of the finalized projects will be
approved by the Collector of the concerned
District.
8.4- Administrative approval and Technical
sanction shall be accorded as per Panchayat
Samiti Accounting Procedure Rules, 2002 and
subsequent amendments made therein from
time to time."
4. It is submitted that now the consequential action
has to be taken in terms of the notification dated
07.01.2026 at Annexure-7 adverted to hereinabove.
5. Learned counsel for the State submits that after
coming into effect the modification to the guidelines as
per resolution dated 07.01.2026, the Petitioners have
no subsisting cause of action, since their grievance in
respect of resolution (Addendum dated 11.03.2025 and
Corrigendum dated 25.03.2025) which was primarily in
respect of Annexure-1 no longer subsists, the same
having been admittedly withdrawn.
6. On considering the rival submissions, this Court
is of the considered view that interest of justice would
be subserved if the Petitioners in their representative
capacity are allowed to ventilate their grievance in
terms of the guidelines at Annexure-7 and files a fresh
representation taking into account the notification dated
07.01.2026 within a period of one week hence.
7. Taking into account the submission at the Bar
that the fund allocations are financial year wise and the
end of financial year 2024-25 is fast approaching, in the
event a representation along with a copy of the writ
petition and a copy of this order is submitted before the
Collector and District Magistrate, Balasore-Opposite
Party No.3 within a period of one week, he shall
consider the same and take a decision within a period of
two weeks thereafter and shall communicate the result
thereof after giving an opportunity of hearing to the
Petitioners or any of the authorized representatives of
the concerned Gram Panchayats.
8. It is directed that till such a decision is taken, no
consequential action in terms of the approval of projects
under Annexure-6 dated 10.07.2025 issued by the
CDO-cum-E.O. Zilla Parishad shall be taken.
9. The writ petition is accordingly stands disposed
of.
10. In view of disposal of writ petition, pending
I.As., if any stand disposed of.
(V. Narasingh)
Santoshi
Location: High Court of Orissa, Cuttack
Date: 27-Feb-2026 19:15:09
