Patna High Court - Orders
The State Of Bihar & Ors vs Subhash Chandra Shukla & Ors on 19 January, 2011
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
LPA No.789 of 2006
THE STATE OF BIHAR & ORS
Versus
SUBHASH CHANDRA SHUKLA & ORS
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30- 19/1/2011 Mr. Devendra Kumar Sinha, learned Additional Advocate General II, is present. We had made the following observations in our judgment dated 11.8.2009, disposing of the present appeal:-
"18. During the course of submission, a large number of orders by the State Government and its functionaries were brought to our notice. The same were required to be issued because of absence of exhaustive Rules under the Act. Enforcement of Rules for effective implementation of the provisions of an enactment provides clear guidelines to the authorities administering the Act, and also to the courts disposing of litigations. We also emphatically note that, on our request, the learned Advocate General has sought instructions from the State Government whether or not it is willing to frame exhaustive Rules for effective implementation of 2006 Act. We also impressed upon the learned Advocate General that great importance is being attached to the institution of Gram Panchayat because it nurtures the grass-root democracy and is sanctioned by Part IX of the Constitution of India which is headed `The Panchayats'. The learned Advocate General has, on instructions from the State Government, submitted that a policy decision has been taken to frame exhaustive Rules under the 2006 Act. It has tentatively been decided to frame two sets of Rules, one of which shall be for election purposes, the 2 other set of Rules shall incorporate the provisions with respect to all the remaining items, and the existing Rules shall be repealed. As prayed, four months is granted to the State Government to frame exhaustive Rules under the Act. For this purpose, put up on 16.12.2009 (Wednesday), in chambers, if not sitting together. We request the learned Advocate General to appear in the matter personally on the next occasion."
2. It appears that the State Government has not made appreciable progress in framing different sets of Rules under the Panchayat Raj Act 2006, although the matter has been taken up on various occasions and adequate time has been given to the State Government for the purpose. Way back on 31.3.2010, the then learned Advocate General had placed before us the following time-table to frame the Rules:-
Þfu;ekoyh xBu dk vuvfUre le; lkj.khÞ Øe fu;ekoyh dk xBu vH;qfDr 1 2 3 1 fcgkj iapk;r fuokZpu fu;ekoyh] xfBr ,oa vf/klwfpr 2006 2 fcgkj ftyk ;kstuk lfefr dk xBu xfBr ,oa vf/klwpfr ,oa dk;Z lapkyu fu;ekoyh] 2006 3 fcgkj xzke dpgjh lapkyu fu;ekoyh] xfBr ,oa vf/klwfpr 2007 4 fcgkj xzke dpgjh U;k;fe= ¼fu;kstu] xfBr ,oa vf/klwfpr lsok"krZ ,oa dÙkZO; fu;ekoyh] 2007 5 fcgkj xzke dpgjh lfpo ¼fu;kstu] xfBr ,oa vf/klwpfr laok"krZ ,oa dÙkZO; fu;ekoyh] 2007 6 fcgkj xzke iapk;r] iapk;r lfefr ,oavf/klwfpr ¼ladYi ftyk ifj"kn~ ¼HkRrk Hkqxrku½ la[;k 6159 fnukad 4-
fu;ekoyh] 2007 12-2008½ fu;ekoyh ds LFkku ij ladYi fuxZr fd;k x;kA 7 fcgkj jkT; fuokZpu vk;qDr ¼fu;qfDr xfBr ,oa vf/klwpfr 3 ,oa lsok "krZ½ fu;ekoyh] 2008 8 fcgkj xzke iapk;r dj ,oa Qhl izk:i rS;kj gs] ftl ¼vf/kjksi.k] fu/kkZj.k vkSj laxzg.k½ ij lacaf/kr foHkkx ls fu;ekoyh] 2007 ¼la0 ijke"kZ izkIr dj fy;k l0&2i@fo&6&106@06 x;k gS mPp Lrj ij fopkj&foe"kZ fd;k tkuk gSA 9 fcgkj iapk;r ¼mi fof/k ,oa fofu;e izk:i rS;kj gS] ftl &fuekZ.k izfØ;k fu;ekoyh] 2007 ij lacaf/kr foHkkx ls ¼la0l0 &2i@fo&6&123@07½ ijke"kZ izkIr dj fy;k x;k gSA mPp Lrj ij fopkj foe"kZ fd;k tkuk gSA 10 fcgkj xzke iapk;r ¼lfpo dh fu;qfDr] izk:i rS;kj gS] ftl vf/kdkj ,oa dÙkZO;½ fu;ekoyh 2008 ij lacaf/kr foHkkx ls ¼la0l0&2i@fo&6&97@2006½ ijke"kZ izkIr dj fy;k x;k gSA mPp Lrj ij fopkj foe"kZ fd;k tkuk gSA 11 fcgkj xzke j{kk ny ¼laxBu] dÙkZO; izk:i rS;kj gS] ftl ,oa mi;ksx½ fu;ekoyh] 2009 ij lacaf/kr foHkkx ls ¼la0l02i@fo&6&90@2006½ ijke"kZ izkIr dj fy;k x;k gSA mPp Lrj ij fopkj foe"kZ fd;k tkuk gSA 12 fcgkj xzke lHkk ¼cSBd ds la;kstu ,oa izk:i rS;kj gS] ftl lapkyu dh izfØ;k½ ij lacaf/kr foHkkx ls la0l0&2i@fo&6&112@06½ ijke"kZ izkIr dj fy;k x;k gSA eq[; lfpo egksn; ls foe"kZ fd;k tkuk gSA 13 fcgkj iapk;r jkt foÙk vk;ksx izk:i rS;kj gSA iz/kku ¼fu;qfDr] vgZÙkk rFkk lsok"krZ½ lfpo] foÙk foHkkx ls fu;ekoyh] 2010 foe"kZ fd;k tkuk gSA ¼la0l0&2i@fo&6&1013@09½ 14 fcgkj iapk;r jkt izdh.kZ fu;ekoyh] izk:i rS;kj gS vxzsrj 2009 ¼la0l0&2i@fo&6&101@07½ dkjZokbZ dh tk jgh gSA 15 fcgkj iapk;r jkt laLFkk ¼dk;Z izk:i rS;kj gS vxzrj lapkyu½ fu;ekoyh 2009 ¼la0l0 dkjZokbZ dh tk jgh &2i@fo&6&114@06½ gSA 16 fcgkj iapk;r ¼i;Zos{k.k ,oa fu;a=.k½ izk:i rS;kj gS vxsrj fu;ekoyh] 2009 dkjZokbZ dh tk jgh ¼la0l0&2i@fo&6&124@07½ gSA 17 fcgkj iapk;r lsok "krZ fu;ekoyh] izk:i rS;kj djus dh dkjZokbZ dh tk jgh gSA 18 fcgkj iapk;r ctV ,oa ys[kk mPp Lrj ij 4 fu;ekoyh fopkj&foe"kZ fd;k tkuk gSA uksV %& mijksDr foHkkxh; dfeZ;ksa ds lsok"kÙkZ fu/kkj.k gsrq Þfcgkj ftyk ifj'kn~ du;h vfHk;ark ,oa lgk;d vfHk;ark lsok@laoxZ fu;ekoyh] 2000Þ ,oa Þfcgkj iapk;r lsok fu;ekoyh] 2010 xfBr ,oa vf/klwfpr dh xbZ gSA
3. The State Government should realize the importance and seriousness of the matter. Part IX of the Constitution of India is headed `Panchayat'. It is evident that the Constitution envisages Panchayat to be the grass-root democracy. In pursuance of the laudable object enshrined in Part IX, the Bihar Legislature has brought on the statute book the Panchayat Raj Act 2006. We are informed at the Bar that the Panchayats are in place in this State, and lots of duties, functions, and powers have been transferred to the Panchayats which are giving rise to a large number of litigations directly in this Court, burdening the Court with matters which are essentially issues of facts and have to be disposed of by forums of facts like the appellate authority and/or revisional authority and/or Tribunal, etc. For example, large number of matters regarding election/selection of Mukhia, Dalpati, Gram Sevak, Panchayat Secretary, Pramukh, Prakhand Shikshaks, Anganwari Sevika/Sahayika, Gram Cuttchhery etc., are reaching this Court directly. Apart from the enormous such matters are coming up directly, this Court is really not able 5 to do justice in those cases because those essentially and mainly involve issues of facts which cannot efficiently be done in exercise of powers of judicial review. It is, therefore, imperative that forums of facts are created without further delay.
4. As prayed for by learned AAG II, four weeks' time is granted to take appropriate steps to frame the Rules and produce copies of the same followed by an affidavit sworn by the Panchayat Secretary personally. Put up on 9.3.2011 in chambers at 4.25 PM, if not sitting together.
5. Entire copy of the order-sheets beginning with the judgment dated 11.8.2009, has been handed over to learned AAG II. Let a copy of the present order be handed over to the learned AAG II forthwith.
( S K Katriar ) ( Jyoti Saran ) mrl