IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.2379 of 2008 SMT.MEERA DEVI W/0 Mr. Amar Kumar R/O Mohalla High Court Panitanki P.H.E.D., P.S. Kotwali, District- Patna. Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR 2. The Commissioner cum Secretary, Health Department, Government of Bihar, Patna. 3. The Superintendent, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Patna. ----------- 2. 19.04.2011 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the State. The petitioner’s case for appointment on compassionate ground has remained pending ever since 21.03.2006, on the ground that her husband was missing since 22.11.2000, and would be deemed to be dead after completing the period of seven years in view of Section 108 of Evidence Act. From the reading of the writ application, counter affidavit as also the supplementary affidavit which has been filed today, it becomes clear that there were primarily two impediments in the consideration of the case of the petitioner for appointment on compassionate ground and both of them not being capable of being resolved at the level of the controlling authority of the husband of the petitioner were referred to the State Government for an appropriate decision. 2 The first impediment was that the husband of the petitioner himself was appointed on compassionate ground and, therefore, whether the dependent of such an employee could also be appointed on compassionate ground. That aspect of the matter seems to have been clarified by the State Government’s Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department vide letter dated 17.8.2009, wherein it has been stated that even a Government servant dying in harness, who was himself appointed on compassionate ground would qualify for consideration of the case of his dependent for appointment on compassionate ground. The second impediment in the case of the petitioner was with regard to the silence in the Government policy dated 5.10.1991 as with regard to presumptive death in terms of Section 108 of the Evidence Act and that has also been ultimately resolved by the State Government in its circular dated 31.10.2008, relevant provisions whereof reads as follows:- ^^3- vr% ekuuh; iVuk mPp U;k;ky; ds mDr vkns'k esa fn;s x;s lq>koks rFkk Hkkjr ljdkj ds mDr dk;kZy; Kkiu esa fufgr izko/kku ds vkyksd esa] jkT; ljdkj }kjk lE;d:is.k fopkjksijkar fuEukafdr fu.kZ; fy;s x;s gS& ¼1½ ;fn dksbZ ljdkjh lsod vfookfgr gks vkSj mlds ekrk firk ,oa HkkbZ&cgu mlh ij vkfJr gksa rFkk lsokdky esa ,sls ljdkjh lsod dh e`R;q gks tk; 3 rks oSlh ifjfLFkfr esa mldh fo/kok eka] NksVk HkkbZ ,oa vfookfgr NksVh cgu dks vuqdEik ds vk/kkj ij fu;qfDr gsrq vkfJr ekuk tk,xkA ¼2½ ykirk ljdkjh lsodksa ds ekeys esa Hkh] fuEukafdr 'krksZa ds v/khu] vuqdEik ds vk/kkj ij fu;qfDr gsrq fopkj ds ykHk dh vuqekU;rk gksxh%& ¼d½ ljdkjh lsod ds ykirk gksus dh frfFk ls nks o"kksZa ds chr tkus ds ckn vuqdEik fu;qfDr gsrq vuqjks/k ij fopkj gks ldrk gS] c'krsZ fd%& ¼i½ iqfyl Fkkuk es bl laca/k esa ,d izkFkfedh ntZ fd;k x;k gks ¼ii½ ykirk O;fDr dk irk py ikuk dfBu gks] vkSj ¼iii½ l{ke izkf/kdkj ;g eglwl djsa fd ekeyk lR; gSA ¼[k½ ;g ykHk ,sls ljdkjh lsodksa ds ekeys esa vuqekU; ugha gksxk%& ¼i½ ftls ykirk gksus dh frfFk ls nks o"kksZ ds vanj lsokfuo`r gksuk gS ;k ¼ii½ ftl ij /kks[kk/kM+h djus dk lansg gks] ;k fdlh vkradoknh laxBu esa 'kkfey gksus dk lansg gks] ;k fons'k pys tkus dk lansg gksA ¼x½ vU; ds ekeyksa dh rjg ykirk ljdkjh lsods ds ekeys esa Hkh vuqdEik fu;qfDr vf/kdkj dk ekeyk ugha gksxh vkSj ;g fjfDr;ksa dh miyC/krk lfgr] ,slh fu;qfDr ds fy, fu/kkZfjr lHkh 'krksZa ds iwjk gkasus ij gh gks ldsxhA ¼?k½ ,sls vuqjks/k ij fopkj djrs le; iqfyl vuqla/kku ds ifj.kkeksa dks Hkh /;ku esa j[kk tk;sxkA ¼3½ ykirk ljdkjh lsod ds vkfJr dks vuqdEik ds vk/kkj ij fu;qDr dj fy;s tkus ds ckn ykirk ljdkjh lsod ds iqu% izdV gks tkus ij vuqdEik ds vk/kkj ij fu;qDr muds vkfJr dh lsok Lor% lekIr le>h tk;sxhA ijUrq ,sls vkfJr ls] muds }kjk dRrZO; dh vof/k ds fy, Hkqxrku dh xbZ jkf'k dh olwyh ugha dh tk;sxhA ykirk ljdkjh lsod ds izdV gksus ,oa ;ksxnku nsus ij l{ke izkf/kdkj }kjk mudk ;ksxnku Lohdkj djrs gq, mUgsa fuyafcr dj muds fo:n~/k fcgkj lsok lafgrk ds fu;e 76 ds vkyksd esa vuf/kd`r vuqifLFkfr ds fy, fu;ekuqlj foHkkxh; dk;Zokgh pykdj leqfpr dkjZokbZ dh tk;sxhA 4- bl foHkkx ds Kkikad&13293 fnukad 05-10-91 dh dafMdk&¼1½ ¼x½ ,oa ¼?k½ mi;qZDr gn rd la'kksf/kr le>h tk;sxh] vkSj Kkikad 281 fnukad 01-02-2006 ,oa i=kad 4265 fnukad 04-12-07 rn~uqlkj vodzfer le>s tk;saxsA** 4 In that view of the matter the competent authority has now to consider the case of the petitioner for appointment on compassionate ground, strictly in accordance with the main Government Policy dated 5.10.1991 as also the subsequent Government Circular dated 31.10.2008 in the light of clarification issued by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department in the letter dated 17.8.2009. Let such consideration, therefore, be made by the competent authority through Compassionate Appointment Committee within a period of four months from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order. It is however made clear that this Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the claim of the petitioner and the same has to be considered and decided by looking into the individual facts and circumstances of the case of the petitioner. With the aforementioned observations and directions this application is disposed of. Anand Kr. ( Mihir Kumar Jha, J.)