CWP No.258 of 2009 :1: In the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh. Date of decision:30.03.2009 Jagjiwan Singh ... Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and others ... Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PERMOD KOHLI Present: Mr.Vikas Mehsempuri, Advocate,for the petitioner. Ms.Charu Tuli, Senior DAG, Punjab,for the respondents. PERMOD KOHLI, J. (Oral): I have heard the learned counsel for the parties at length. The petitioner has filed this petition seeking a writ in the nature of mandamus to allow the petitioner to join his duty pursuant to the order dated 24.08.2004 (Annexure P-2) passed by the Divisional Commissioner, Patiala, Division, Patiala, in Misc. Appeal No. 26 of 2004 filed by Jagjiwan Singh Patwari against the State. The Appellate Authority set aside the order impugned dated 21.01.2004 passed by the District Collector, Sangrur and the petitioner has been reinstated into government service. The grievance of the petitioner is that despite passing of the above said order, the State has neither allowed the petitioner to join nor any salary has been paid to him. In the reply filed, the stand of the respondents is that order passed by the District Collector, Sangrur, is challenged before the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) who has passed status-quo order, copy whereof has been placed on record as Annexure R-1. The appeal is still pending. CWP No.258 of 2009 :2: In view of the status-quo order passed by the Appellate Authority, it is not appropriate to pass any order during the pendency of the appeal. However, under the given circumstances only relief which can be considered, at this stage, is to direct the Appellate Authority to dispose of the appeal within a reasonable time. The appeal is pending since 2004 i.e over five years now. In the totality of the circumstances of this case, present petition is disposed of with a direction to the Appellate Authority to decide the appeal preferred by the State-respondent within a period of two months from the date a certified copy of this order is served upon the competent authority. 30.03.2009. (PERMOD KOHLI) BLS JUDGE