IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.11642 of 2008 1. Baidyanath Das Son of Sri Banarsi Das, resident of village Naula, P.S. Bhagwanpur, District Begusarai at present working as Panchayat Shikshak, Gram Panchayat Kiratpur, under Bhagwanpur Block, District Begusarai. 2. Smt. Renu Kumari D/o Sri Ramchandra Yadav, resident of village Bhagwanpur, P.S. Bhagwanpur, District Begusarai, at present working as Panchayat Shikshak under Gram Panchayat Kiratpur within Bhagwanpur Block, District Begusarai. 3. Anurup Kumari W/o Brahmdeo Sah, resident of village Suryapura, P.S. Bhagwanpur, District Begusarai, at present working as Panchayat Shikshak under Gram Panchayat, Kiratpur within Bhagwanpur Block, District Begusarai. 4. Savita Kuamri Wife of Jitendra Kumar, resident of village Gara, P.S. Bhagwanpur, District Begusarai working under Gram Panchayat, Kiratpur, under Bhagwanpur Block, District Begusarai………………………………………………………………….Petitioners Versus 1. The State Of Bihar through the District Magistrate, Begusarai. 2. The District Superintendent of Education, Begusarai. 3. The Block Development Officer, Bhagwanpur, District Begusarai. 4. Block Education Extension Officer, Bhagwanpur, District Begusarai. 5. The Mukhiya, Gram Panchayat, Kiratpur within Bhagwanpur Block, District Begusarai. 6. The Panchayat Secretary, Gram Panchayat, Kiratpur, within Bhagwanpur Block, District Begusarai………………………………………………………………………Respondents ------------ 5 20.09.2011 Heard learned counsel for the petitioners as well as learned counsel for the State. Four petitioners are Panchayat Teachers in different schools of the same Panchayat. They have filed this writ petition for payment of their arrears of 2 salary. Respondent no.3, Block Development Officer, Bhagwanpur, has filed a counter affidavit in this case stating that salary of the petitioners has been paid. However, petitioners have filed an interlocutory application bearing I.A. 6449 of 2011 stating therein that subsequently their salary has again been stopped by the Panchayat Secretary due to mala fide intention since October, 2010. If the petitioners are working as Panchayat Teachers in the concerned schools, they are legally entitled for payment of their salary on regular basis from the fund received in the Panchayat. If their salary is not being paid, whereas salary of other teachers in the same Panchayat is being paid and they are being subjected to hostile discrimination by the Panchayat Secretary and if it is due to some mala fide intention of the Panchayat Secretary, the matter may be serious. Hence, Block Development Officer, Bhagwanpur is directed to see to it that from the funds received in the Panchayat, 3 all the teachers similarly situated are paid uniformly and no discrimination is practised by the Panchayat authorities specially Panchayat Secretary in disbursement of their salary, failing which Block Development Officer is directed to take stern action against the person responsible for such act. He shall also see to it that payment of arrears of salary of petitioners is released positively within two months from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order. The writ application is disposed of with the aforesaid observations and directions. BT (J. N. Singh, J.)