IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.2472 of 2007 M/S SHREE BALAJEE AGENCY THROUGH ITS PROPRIETOR MUKESH KUMAR SON OF SRI SHYAM NANDAN PRASAD RESIDENT OF MOHALLA CHITKOHRA BAZAR, PS. GARDANIBAGH IN THE DISTRICT OF PATNA. Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR THROUGH ITS SECRETARY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF BIHAR, NEW SECRETARIAT, PATNA. 2. THE ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF BIHAR, NEW SECRETARIAT, PATNA. 3. THE DEPUTY SECRETARY, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, GOVT. OF BIHAR, NEW SECRETARIAT, PATNA. 4. THE UNDER SECRETARY, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, PATNA. 5. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, PATNA WEST, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, DANAPUR, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, PATNA. 6. THE SECTION OFFICER, BUDGET SECTION, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, PATNA. ----------- 2 10/02/2010 Non –payment of bills for the supplies made by the petitioner to the residential office of the Minister, Building Construction Department, Government of Bihar, led to filing of the present writ application. Averment of the petitioner is that based on the order placed upon him various articles for the use of the residential office of the Minister were supplied and a bill raised but for no apparent reason, no action was taken since 2002. - 2 - The respondents were directed to file counter affidavit. In the counter affidavit they have stated that payment to the petitioner has now been made on 25.3.2008 for a sum of Rs.69,004.00. Next submission of the petitioner is that in absence of any cogent reason for delay in settling the bills of the petitioner for almost six years, he should be compensated by grant of interest on the delayed payment. In a normal course of things, may be the petitioner deserves some indulgence in this regard but keeping the fact into consideration that the Bihar is a poor State and the resources are meager which must be spread across for the benefit of large number of citizens, the Court is not inclined to pass any order for payment of interest. Atleast the petitioner should be happy that the government has honoured his claim and made payment even though belated after six years. This writ application has become infructuous. It s dismissed accordingly. AMIN (Ajay Kumar Tripathi, J.)