IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA LPA No. 222 of 2011 Decided on 13.7.2011. Hem Raj ….. Appellant. Vs. State of H.P. and others ……. Respondents. Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Kurian Joseph, Chief Justice The Hon’ble Mr. Justice V.K. Sharma, Judge. For the appellant : Mr. Lalit K. Sharma, Advocate For the respondents : Mr. R.K. Bawa Advocate General with Mr. Ankush Dass Sood, Addl. A.G and Mr. J.K. Verma, Dy. A.G. for respondents No. 1 to 3. Justice Kurian Joseph, Chief Justice (oral). CMP(M) No. 738 of 2011 and LPA No. 222 of 2011. This is an application for condonation of delay of 106 days in filing the appeal. On going through the affidavit filed with the application, we find that the delay has not been satisfactorily explained. The judgment has been delivered on 21.12.2010. However, application for copy of the same was filed on 23.5.2011. There is no explanation at all and not even a reference for the delay in that regard. There is also no satisfactory explanation for the delay even thereafter. Though it may not be 2 necessary for us to go into the merits of the case while considering this application, we find that even on merits, the petitioner does not have a tenable case. In the selection, the private respondent has been adjudged more meritorious than the appellant-petitioner. There is a serious dispute as to the residence of the private respondent. The requirement is only that the applicant should be resident within the Gram Panchayat. Annexure R-1, certificate produced by the private respondent shows that he was a resident of Gram Panchayat, Lot. Be that as it may. Since the delay has not been properly explained at all, the application is dismissed. The appeal is also dismissed. (Justice Kurian Joseph), Chief Justice (Justice V.K. Sharma) Judge. July 13, 2011 (LSP/hl)