-: 1 :- IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.2333 OF 2008 Shankar S/o. Nagaswammy Dhobi Mimiya : Petitioner V/s. The C.E.O. Slum Rehabilitation Authority & Ors. : Respondents ... Mr.O.P.Singh for the petitioner. Mr.P.K.Dhakephalkar with Mr.J.G.Reddy for resp. no.1. Mr.A.R.Mishra for respondent no.3. Mr.Pradeep Jadhav, Asstt. Govt. Pleader for the State. ... CORAM : SWATANTER KUMAR, C.J.& S.A. BOBDE, J. DATE : DECEMBER 16, 2008. P.C. 1. The learned counsel appearing for the respondent no.1 submits that now they have taken a decision and would communicate the decision within one week from today to the petitioner as well as his counsel. 2. We are unable to appreciate this approach of the respondent no.1’s Officers. The order was passed on 13.7.2007 granting them two weeks’ time to pass -: 2 :- appropriate order, but no order was passed till the filing of this petition and even thereafter. Now the order has been passed on 12.12.2008 after the matter was taken up by the Court and the counsel had also taken time to seek instructions. The Officer-in-Charge is present in Court. We dispose of this petition, but direct the Officer who has failed to pass the order to pay Rs.10,000/- as costs. The costs shall be recovered from the salary of the Officer concerned and deposit with the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority, Mumbai, and 50% thereof be paid to the petitioner. We make it clear that the Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O.), Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Mumbai, shall issue a circular forthwith bringing this order to the notice of all concerned Departments and requiring them to act expeditiously, diligently and within the time-frame provided in the orders of the Court. The principle of public accountability would require a public servant to discharge his obligations without any delay and with complete sense of responsibility. There should be no justification whatsoever for keeping the matters pending on their table for years together without passing any order. It is expected of the public servant to respond to letters, applications and requests made by citizens seeking redressal of their grievances at the earliest and, in any case, normally it should not exceed a period of eight weeks. We direct the C.E.O. to issue a circular -: 3 :- and ensure its compliance in future. 3. Writ Petition is disposed of. CHIEF JUSTICE S.A. BOBDE, J.