IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.5278 of 2009 RAJU RAM RANJAN Versus THE STATE OF BIHAR & ORS ----------- 2. 24.4.2009 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the State. The petitioner claims to be appointed and is discharging duties as Block Teacher in Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya, Nakardei Panchayat. It is submitted that salary is not being paid since 22.11.2007. If the petitioner is working and is not being paid salary, issues of violation of Articles 21 and 23 of the Constitution by the State itself, arise. Salary can be stopped only in accordance with law, a punishment imposed after a proper enquiry or in any other manner as the service rules may provide. The writ application is therefore disposed off with direction to the Commissioner- cum- Secretary, Human Resources Development Department to examine the claim of the petitioner and if he finds that the petitioner is working and there is no justifiable reason for withholding the salary, he shall not only order payment of salary forthwith, he shall simultaneously order on the administrative side an enquiry against the concerned officials. If the authority is satisfied that there is valid and justifiable reason for withholding the salary they shall be at - 2 - liberty to pass a reasoned and speaking order in this regard. Let this Court be complied with within a maximum period of four weeks from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order, considering that the salary is the only source of livelihood for a government servant. P. Kumar (Navin Sinha, J.)