IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.16049 of 2005 ARVIND KUMAR 'AMAR' Versus THE STATE OF BIHAR & ORS ----------- 4. 17.9.2008 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the State. The petitioner seeks a direction upon the respondents to appoint him on compassionate ground and further for quashing the order contained in Letter No. 1832 dated 2.8.2005 (Annexure -2) by which the respondent no. 6 has rejected the claim of the petitioner. The father of the petitioner was working under the Divisional Forest Officer, Saharsa Forest Division, Saharsa (respondent no. 6) as a Forest Extension Worker and while on duty died on 5.8.2004. The petitioner applied for compassionate appointment but the same was rejected by letter dated 2.8.2005. In the counter affidavit the stand taken is that earlier the petitioner’s father was engaged in the National Rural Employment Programme and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme and subsequently he was adjusted under a scheme as Forest Extension Worker and died on 5.8.2004 still working on the said post. It is stated that the earlier application for appointment on compassionate ground has not been rejected by the competent authority rather the same was ordered to be returned on the basis of the resolution no. 486 dated 26.2.2005 but subsequently by another resolution no. 51 dated 7.1.2006 it has been decided that the Forest Extension Supervisors and Workers will be regularized on the post of Forester and Forest Guard - 2 - respectively and after that they would be entitled to all benefits according to the service rules. Accordingly the matter of the petitioner was sent to the Environment and Forest Department and a direction was received by letter dated 5.12.2006 that the application for appointment of petitioner on compassionate ground should be considered on the basis of the recommendation of the District Compassionate Committee, Saharsa. It is stated that accordingly the petitioner has been informed to submit his application again with necessary documents so that the same can be sent to the District Compassionate Committee, Saharsa and the moment it is received, it will be so sent and after obtaining its recommendation necessary action will be taken. In view of the aforesaid stand taken in the counter affidavit, the authorities are directed to act in the matter expeditiously upon receipt of the application by the petitioner (which according to learned counsel for the petitioner has already been submitted before them) and dispose of the matter within a period of four months from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order or of the filing of the fresh application, whichever is earlier. P. Kumar (Ramesh Kumar Datta, J.)