IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.10282 of 2010 1. RABINDRA KUMAR RAI S/O LATE ASHARFI RAI R/O VILL CHANDAULI, P.S.TAJPUR(WAINI O.P.), DISTT-SAMASTIPUR Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR THROUGH ITS SECRETARY- CUM-COMMISSIONER, AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT PATNA 2. DISTRICT AGRICULTURE OFFICER SAMASTIPUR 3. THE COLLECTOR, SAMASTIPUR ----------- 3 18.03.2011 Petitioner has filed this writ application for a direction to the respondents to give preference to the petitioner and other similarly situated candidates who had completed the training of 15 days and had been given the certificate of Kisan Mitra, in the selection of Kisan Salahkar. It is submitted that the respondents published the advertisement, as contained in Annexure- 3, inviting applications from eligible candidates for appointment as Kisan Salahkar. In the eligibility criteria, it was mentioned that for the purposes of selection of Kisan Salahkar, farmers with Graduate in Agriculture shall be given preference. In their absence farmers with I.Sc. in Agriculture shall be given preference. If both of them were not available then those farmers who were I.Sc. passed and had the training of Kisan Mitra of 45 days shall be given preference. Thereafter, some other category of candidates was enlisted for being considered in chronology. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits 2 that the petitioner had also training of Kisan Mitra, but of 15 days only. He submits that since they were also Kisan Mitra with training they should have been put at par with the candidates having training of 45 days and should have been given preference accordingly. Counter affidavit has been filed in this case. From Annexure-B to the counter affidavit, it appears that the Collector considered the representation of the petitioner and other similarly situated candidates and referred the matter to the Agriculture Production Commissioner. The matter was accordingly considered and, vide Annexure-C, the Agriculture Production Commissioner informed the Collector, Samastipur that it was not possible to give preference to such Kisan Mitras who had got the training for only 15 days. From the letter of the Agriculture Production Commissioner, it appears that the post-appointment training had to be provided to such Kisan Salahkar in the Rajendra Agriculture University and Agriculture Research Centres and for this training, it was prescribed that the candidates must have training of Kisan Mitra of 45 days. Therefore, it was not possible to give weightage to such Kisan Mitras who had only 15 days of training. The reasoning given by the Agriculture 3 Production Commissioner in his letter for not putting the Kisan Mitra with 15 days training with other Kisan Mitra having 45 days training cannot be held to be arbitrary or irrational. Though the petitioner has pleaded that there was no difference in training of 15 days and training of 45 days, but this bald pleading itself cannot make the said reasoning given in the letter of the Agriculture Production Commissioner for differential treatment as arbitrary. In the circumstances, this Court does not find any merit in the writ application and the same is dismissed. Arvind/ ( J. N. Singh, J.)