Patna High Court
Lalan Kumar Jha vs The State Of Bihar on 26 March, 2025
Author: P. B. Bajanthri
Bench: P. B. Bajanthri, Alok Kumar Sinha
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Letters Patent Appeal No.616 of 2022
In
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.641 of 2018
======================================================
Lalan Kumar Jha, Son of Late Kula Nand Jha, Resident of Village and P.O.-
Bhith Bhagwanpur, P.S.- Madhepur, District- Madhubani.
... ... Appellant
Versus
1. The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Dept. of Revenue and
Land Reform, Government of Bihar, Patna.
2. The Director, Directorate of Consolidation, Government of Bihar, Patna.
3. The Consolidation Officer, Bihiya, District- Bhojpur.
4. The Joint Director, Directorate of Consolidation, Government of Bihar,
Patna.
5. The Commissioner-Cum-Secretary, Dept. of Finance Govt. of Bihar, Patna.
... ... Respondents
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Appellant/s : Mr. Abhay Kumar Thakur, Advocate
Mr. Sukriti Kumari, Advocate
Mr. Arvnenendra Kumar Thakur, Advocate
For the Respondent/s : Mr. Md. Khurshid Alam, AAG-12
Mr. S.K. Dwivedi, AC to AAG-12
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI
and
HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ALOK KUMAR SINHA
ORAL JUDGMENT
(Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI)
Date : 26-03-2025
Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, Instructor,
Consolidation Training Institute, Patna is present in Court.
2. Appellant has assailed the order of the learned
Single Judge dated 16.09.2022 passed in C.W.J.C. No. 641 of
2018. The Appellant has assailed the order dated 08.11.2017
bearing letter No. 879 produced as Annexure-1 to the C.W.J.C.
Patna High Court L.P.A No.616 of 2022 dt.26-03-2025
2/4
No. 641 of 2018. It is necessary to reproduce Annexure-1 dated
08.11.2017
and it reads as under:
i=kad & 879 fnukad & 08.11.2017
izs'kd%& pdcUnh inkf/kdkjh
fcfg;k] Hkkstiqj
lsok esa]
Jh yyu dqekj >k
lsok fuo`r izk#id
fo'k;%& vkids }kjk vf/kd fudklh dh xbZ jkf"k dh olwyh ds laca/k esaA
izlax%& la;qDr funs"kd pdcUnh eq[;ky; fcgkj iVuk dk i=kad la0
358@pd0 fnukad 02-06-2017
egk";]
mi;qZDr fo'k;d izklafxd i= ds lEca/k esa dguk gS fd vki pdcUnh
dk;kZy; fcfg;kWa ls 31@01@2016 dks lsok fuo`r gq, gSA vkids }kjk lsok
fuo`r ds i"pkr feyus okyh lkjh lsokvksa dk ykHk dh jkf"k ,oa vU; en esa
izk#id ds osrueku ls vyx osrueku esa osru fu/kkZj.k ds mijkUr ykHk ,oa
vU; en esa jkf"k fd fudklh dh xbZ gS oks osrueku izk#id ds osrueku es ugh
gSA
mi;qZDr fLFkfr esa la;qDr funs"kd pdcanh eq[;ky; fcgkj iVuk ds i=
ds vkyksd esa vkidk iqu% osrueku esa osru fu/kkZj.k dj ftyk ys[kk inkf/kdkjh
Hkkstiqj vkjk ls lR;kiu djk fy xbZ gSA vf/kd fy xbZ jkf"k fd olqfy fofHkUu
osrueku@xzsM osru esa lalks/ku ds mijkUr 458567 ¼pkj yk[k vuBkou gtkj
ikap lkS lMlB½ fd olqfy vki ls fd tkuh gS ¼fy xbZ jkf"k ,oa feyus okyh
jkf"k ,oa varj jkf"k ds xauuk dh foojf.k layXu½ A
vr% vki ls vuqjks/k gS fd i= izkfIr ds ,d lIrkg ds vanj olqy fu
jkf"k ds leat"k@tek djus ds fn"kk esa dk;ZokbZ djuk lwfu"fPkr djs rkfd
ljdkj ds vkns"k dk ikyu gks lds ;fn vkids Lrj ls jkf"k laetu dj dksbZ
Bksl mrj izkIr ufg gksus fd fLFkfr esa fof/kor dks'kkxkj inkf/kdkj >a>kjiqj
e/kqcfu ds Lrj ls lkeatu djus fd dk;ZokbZ fd tk,xhA
gk0
fo"ok"kHkktu
pdcUnh inkf/kdkjh
fcfg;kWa] Hkkstiqj
3. Perusal of the same, it is evident that petitioner
has not been heard before ordering recovery. Therefore,
Patna High Court L.P.A No.616 of 2022 dt.26-03-2025
petitioner is entitled to Show-Cause Notice along with the
material information like service particulars of the petitioner
read with the post held by him and what is the pay scale
attached to the post held by the petitioner. Thereafter, the
concerned Authority is required to examine whether Appellant
has been extended higher pay scale than the pay scale attached
to the post held by him. If it is so and in that event, all those
details shall be made known in the Show-Cause Notice so as to
enable the Appellant to file his explanation/submission
effectively. Thereafter, the concerned Authority is hereby
directed to pass a detailed speaking order after due
consideration of each of the contention to be raised by the
Appellant against Show-Cause Notice to be issued by the
concerned Authority.
4. The aforementioned crucial point has not been
taken note of by the learned Single Judge while passing order on
16.09.2022 passed in C.W.J.C. No. 641 of 2018. Accordingly,
the learned Single Judge has committed error. Hence, order
passed by the learned Single Judge dated 16.09.2022 passed in
C.W.J.C. No. 641 of 2018 stands set aside and so also impugned
order/communication dated 08.11.2017 (Annexure-1 to the
C.W.J.C. No. 641 of 2018) is also set aside.
Patna High Court L.P.A No.616 of 2022 dt.26-03-2025
5. The concerned Authority is hereby directed to
undertake the above exercise within a period of 06 months from
the date of receipt of this order. If the Respondents have already
recovered any amount, in that event, they are hereby directed to
refund the same within a period of one month from today. Such
refund of amount would not be a hurdle for the concerned
Respondent to examine whether Department is entitle to recover
the alleged to be excess payment made to the Appellant or not?
In this regard, the concerned Authority is also hereby directed
to take note of Hon'ble Supreme Court decision in the case of
State of Panjab and others vs Rafiq Masih White Washer and
others reported in (2015) 4 SCC 334, wherein principle laid
down insofar as re-fixation and recovery are permissible or not?
6. Accordingly, the present L.P.A. No. 616 of 2022
stands allowed in part.
7. Pending I.As, if any, stands disposed of.
(P. B. Bajanthri, J)
( Alok Kumar Sinha, J)
manish/-
AFR/NAFR NAFR
CAV DATE NA
Uploading Date 28.03.2025
Transmission Date NA
