20. We must also deal with the objection
raised by learned counsel for respondent no.2 that
the intra-departmental appeal provided under the
29
Regulations is illusory. The contention is stated
only to be rejected, above all on the authority of
the Supreme Court in the case of Bachhittar Singh v.
State of Punjab (supra). Secondly the orders of the
authorities under the Regulations are subject to the
jurisdiction of this Court and that of the Supreme
Court. All the employees of the Bihar Government are
subject to identical conditions.
In the case of Bachhittar Singh v. The State of Punjab,
[1962] Suppl. 3 SCR 713 a Constitution Bench of this Court had to
consider the effect of an order passed by a Minister on a file. which
order was not communicated. This Court, relying upon Article
166(1) of the Constitution, held that the order of the Revenue
Minister, PEPSU could not amount to an order by the State
Government unless it was expressed in the name of Rajpramukh
as required by the said Article and was then communicated to the
party concerned. This is how this Court dealt with the effect of the
noting by a Minister on the file:
Cases such as those in State of Punjab vs. Amar Singh and
Bachhittar Singh vs. State of Punjab also stand on a different footing
altogether. The communication of orders in disciplinary proceedings
raise a question as to the effectiveness of the order and not whether
they are deemed to have been communicated once they are put in a
course of transmission.
53. We, therefore, have no reason to doubt that the
assignment took place only on 21.10.1961, i.e.
20Bachhittar Singh v. State of Punjab AIR 1963 SC 395.
26. The decision of the Supreme court in the case of Bachhittar Singh vs.
The State of Punjab reported in AIR (1963) SC 395 is an authority
for the proposition that an order of the Secretary of the State does not
take effect unless the same is communicated to the petitioner
concerned. The observations in connection with Article 166 must be
deemed as general and obiter, in the facts of the Case. The subject
matter of the case was disciplinary proceedings against a government
servant under Article 311 of the Constitution of India. The said
decision therefore, cannot come to the aid of the Petitioner.
5. The Apex Court held that before something amounts to
an order of the State Government two things are necessary, (i) the order
has to be expressed in the name of the Governor as required by clause
(1) of Article 166 of the Constitution and (ii) it has to be communicated
to the person who would be affected by that order. It was held until such
an order is drawn up by the State Government, the notes made by the
Hon'ble Minister on the file cannot be said to be an order of the State
Government. The Apex Court also noticed that it is possible that after
expressing one opinion about a particular matter at a particular stage, a
Minister of the Council of Ministers may later express quite a different
opinion, one which may be completely opposed to the earlier opinion and
therefore to make the opinion amount to a decision of the Government it
must be a final decision communicated to the person concerned. Tested
in the light of the principles laid down by the Apex Court in Bachhittar
Singh, V. State of Punjab & another (supra), I am pursuaded to agree
with the learned Additional Advocate General that Ext.P6 cannot said to
be an order of the State Government removing the petitioner from office.
W.P(C) No. 12551of 2009 -L 6
The respondents have in paragraph 5 of the affidavit filed in support of
I.A.No. 6381 of 2009 virtually conceded this position.
The case of the petitioner, in the present case, is that the entire
acquisition proceedings with respect to land in question have been set aside
as per the judgment passed in CWP-869-1981 titled as Parkash Singh son
of Shri Bachhittar Singh vs. The State of Punjab and others, decided on
22.02.1983 (Annexure P-4). However, the acquisition proceedings attained
finality as it is evident that the possession was delivered to the Estate
Officer, Urban Estate vide rapat No. 731 dated 11.07.1978 as admitted by
respondents No. 1 and 2 in the reply by way of affidavit dated 02.08.2016
and also by respondent No. 3 in his separate written statement dated
21.07.2016. The petitioner had already received compensation vide cheque
No. 695448 dated 10.08.1978. Further, the award was passed on
22.03.1978 and the present writ petition has been filed challenging the
acquisition proceedings on 25.01.2016 i.e. after considerable delay of more
than 38 years.
In Bachhittar Singh v. State of Punjab
[AIR 1963 SC 395 : 1962 Supp (3) SCR 713]
another Constitution Bench held that the
departmental proceedings taken against the
Government servant are not divisible into
two compartments. There is just one
continuous proceeding though there are two
stages in it. The first is coming to a
conclusion on the evidence as to whether the
charges raised against the Government
servant have been established or not and the
second is reached only if it is found that they
are established. That stage deals with the
action to be taken against the Government
servant concerned. Therefore, from the stage
of service of the charge-sheet till the
imposition of punishment was considered to
be a continuous whole process consisting of
Patna High Court L.P.A No.1157 of 2019 dt.12-12-2022
22/25
the proof of the charge and imposition of the
punishment on the proved charge.
In Bachhittar Singh v. State of Punjab this Court
has clearly enunciated the principle of law in the following
words: (AIR p. 398, para 10)
"10. ... Thus it is of the essence that the order has to be
communicated to the person who would be affected by that
order before the State and that person can be bound by that
WP(C) No. 626 of 2007 Contd.../-