Patna High Court
Anita Kumari vs The State Of Bihar And Ors on 21 August, 2025
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.24627 of 2018
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Anita Kumari W/o Uma Shankar Kumar R/o Village- Keshri, Panchayat-
Chouri, P.S.- Chand, District- Kaimur, Bhabhua
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1. The State Of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Deptt,
Government of Bihar, Patna
2. The Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies Department , Government
of Bihar, Patna
3. The Commissioner, Patna Division, Patna
4. The District Magistrate, Kaimur, Bhabhua
5. The Sub Divisional Officer, Bhabhua
6. The Block Supply Officer, Chand
7. Manoj Kumar Gupta S/o Surendra Sah R/o Village- Bairi, Panchayt-Chouri,
P.S.- Chand, District- Kaimur, Bhabhua
... ... Respondent/s
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Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Saket Tiwary, Adv
For the Respondent/s : Mr.Arvind Ujjwal -Sc4
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CORAM: HONOURABLE JUSTICE SMT. G. ANUPAMA CHAKRAVARTHY
ORAL JUDGMENT
Date : 21-08-2025
1. The Writ petition is filed for the following
reliefs:-
"(i) For setting aside memo No.
692 dated 19.09.2018 issued by the
Collector-Cum-Chairman of District
Selection Committee, Kaimur to the
extent to which the application of the
petitioner for selection as PDS Dealer
Patna High Court CWJC No.24627 of 2018 dt.21-08-2025
has been wrongly been rejected and
respondent No. 7 has been appointed.
(ii) For issuance of direction to
appoint the petitioner in place of the
respondent No. 7.
(iii) For any other relief(s) as
this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and
proper in the interest of Justice."
2. At this juncture, the Learned counsel for
the respondents contended that Section 32(iii) of the
Bihar Targeted Public Distribution System (Control)
Order, 2016 provides for the provision of appeal and
Section 32(vi) of the Bihar Targeted Public
Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016 provides
for the provision of revision. Section 32(iii) 32(v) and
32(vi) read as follows:
"32 (iii). Any person aggrieved
by an order of the licensing authority
denying the issue or renewal of the
license to the fair price shop owner or
cancellation of the license may appeal to
the District Officer within thirty days of
the date of receipt of the order and the
District Magistrate shall, as far as
practicable, dispose the appeal within a
period of sixty days."
Patna High Court CWJC No.24627 of 2018 dt.21-08-2025
32. (v) Till the disposal of appeal
pending, the Appellate Authority may
direct that the order under appeal shall
not take effect for such period as the
authority may consider necessary for
giving a reasonable opportunity to the
other party under sub-clause (4) or until
the appeal is disposed of, whichever is
earlier.
(vi) Due to non disposal of the
appeal within sixty days by the District
Officer or against the order passed in the
appeal, a revision may be filed before
the Divisional Commissioner. The
revision shall be disposed of within two
months.
3. Admittedly, from the reliefs prayed for in
the Writ petition, it is evident that the petitioner has
an alternative remedy under the provisions of Bihar
Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order,
2016.
4. The remedy available under the Act is to
prefer an appeal before the District Magistrate. As
the District Magistrate is the head of the Selection
Committee, he cannot review his orders in an
Patna High Court CWJC No.24627 of 2018 dt.21-08-2025
appeal. Therefore, the petitioner is directed to file a
complaint/application before the Divisional
Commissioner.
5. The Learned counsel for the petitioner
contended that he intends to file a
complaint/application before the concerned
authority, but the limitation period for filing the
same has lapsed. He prayed for a direction to the
concerned authority to entertain the same in
accordance with Section 5 of the Limitation Act.
6. Taking into consideration that the
petitioner has an alternative remedy for filing
complaint/application, the Writ petition is disposed
of with a direction to the petitioner to file
complaint/application within one month from the
date of receipt of this order before the concerned
authority. The delay in filing the complaint/
application shall be condoned by the authority
concerned, and the authority shall dispose of the
same within three months from the date of filing of
the same.
Patna High Court CWJC No.24627 of 2018 dt.21-08-2025
7. With the above said observation, the Writ
petition is disposed of.
8. Interlocutory Application(s), if any, shall
stand disposed of.
(G. Anupama Chakravarthy, J)
Amandeep/-
AFR/NAFR NAFR
CAV DATE N/A
Uploading Date 22.08.2025
Transmission Date
