WP(C) 5050/2009 BEFORE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE AMITAVA ROY Heard Mr. N.C. Das, learned Sr. Counsel for the petitioner in WP (C) 4636/2009 and Mr. H.R.A. Choudhury, learned Sr. Counsel for the petitioner i n WP(C) 5050/2009. Also heard Mr. U.K. Goswami, learned Standing Counsel, Educat ion Department, for the official respondents. Noticeably no notice had been issued in these proceedings. Howev er, having regard to the order, which this Court proposes to pass, it is not con sidered necessary to do so. To put it briefly, the pleaded case of the petitioner in WP(C) 4 636/2009 is that he is a Lecturer in Political Science in Lumding College (herea fter referred to as the College) and the respondent No. 4 therein is of the Depa rtment of Economics. The Director of Higher Education, Assam, by order dated 1/2 /2009 allowed the respondent No. 4 to function as the in-charge Principal of the College for a period of three months. Being aggrieved, the petitioner submitted representations before the said authority claiming himself to the senior most L ecturer of the Institution and, therefore, entitled to the said office. The grie vance of the petitioner is that inspite of his repeated representations, the sam e have remained unattended while extensions have been given to the term of the r espondent No. 4 from time to time. He, therefore, seeks the intervention of this Court for an appropriate order to the Director of Higher Education to cause nec essary steps to be taken for his appointment as the Principal of the College. Th e petitioner in WP(C) 5050/2009, The Governing Body of the College in turn has p rayed for an appropriate order to the same authority for appointment of a regula r Principal and meanwhile extend the in-charge arrangement vis-à-vis the respond ent No. 4. This is more so as the last term of the in-charge arrangement of the respondent No. 4 has expired on 30/10/2009. Mr. Goswami has submitted that the issue with regard to the inte r se seniority is under consideration of the Director of Higher Education, Assam , but no final decision has yet been taken and that some more time is required f or the purpose. When queried by this Court, Mr. Goswami submits that a period of two weeks would be sufficient for the Director of Higher Education, Assam, to d ecide on the inter se seniority of the contesting parties. In that view of the matter, this petition stands disposed with a direction to the Director of Higher Education to decide on the interse seniorit y of the petitioner and the respondent No. 4 in WP(C) 4636/2009 within a period of two weeks herefrom. However for this period of two weeks, keeping in mind, th e administrative and academic interest of the College, the respondent No. 4, Sri Ashoke Kumar Paul, Lecturer, Department of Economics, would be allowed to act a s the in-charge Principal thereof. It is made clear that the time frame fixed by the Court is absolute in terms and no prayer for extension of the limit for dec iding the inter se seniority would be entertained by this Court. It is made clea r as well that the continuance of the in-charge arrangement as provided by this Court would also be co-terminus with the said process. It is expected that the D irector of Higher Education would be careful and vigilant of the deadline fixed by this Court. No costs.