C.W.P NO. 4822 OF 2009 -1- IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH C.W.P NO. 4822 OF 2009 DECIDED ON : 26.03.2009 Khosla Rice & General Mills and anr. ...Petitioners versus UOI and others ...Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURYA KANT Present : Mr. Anil Kshetarpal, Advocate, for the petitioners. SURYA KANT, J. (ORAL) The petitioners are the licensed commission agents, running their business in the Market Committees at Batala and Deena Nagar, respectively in District Gurdaspur. They are aggrieved at the notices dated 19.02.2009 and 24.02.2009 (Annexures P-10 and P-11) sent by their respective Market Committees asking them to release payment of bonus to the farmers for the season 2007-08. The notices also stipulate that in case the petitioners fail to release the payment of bonus, some penal action like registration of a case shall be taken against them. The petitioners have taken various pleas in support of their contention that no amount of bonus payable to the farmers C.W.P NO. 4822 OF 2009 -2- has been received by them nor are they liable to pay the same under any provision of law/policy. It is the petitioners' case that if at all any bonus is payable, let the same be paid to them directly by the Union of India. The impugned letters are mere notices only. It is the conceded position that the petitioners have not sent any reply thereto, nor they have apprised the authorities with a view point. In these circumstances, in my considered view, it would be appropriate for the petitioners firstly to submit their reply-cum-representation against the demand notices. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of with liberty to the petitioners to submit their respective replies within a period of one week to the Market Committees concerned. In case any such representation is received from the petitioners, the Executive Officers of the respect Market Committees are directed to consider and dispose of the same by passing a reasoned order within a reasonable period. However, till the petitioners representations' are not decided by passing a speaking order, no coercive steps, whatsoever, shall be taken against them. MARCH 26, 2009 (SURYA KANT) shalini JUDGE