WP(C) 1856/2010 BEFORE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE HRISHIKESH ROY The petitioners are aggrieved by the orders passed by the Block Mission Co-ordin ator, SSA, Bilasipara whereby the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) Centers, wher ein the petitioners are engaged have been ordered to be discontinued. There is n o dispute that EGS Centres are to be set up in areas not having regular Schools (Government / Provincialised) within a distance of 1.5 Kilometer of the proposed location of the Centre and the EGS Centres have been discontinued as because th ere are regular schools functioning at a distance of less than 1.5 kilometer fro m such EGS Centres. In this case we are concerned with 5 EGS Centres namely: 318 No. Khalisatari EGS Centres, 283 No. Mondalpara EGS Centres, 283 No. Dakuamari Amar Parashali, 008 No. Falukpara Amar Parashali and 317 No. Dautpara EGS Centre s. It is contended by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners that the di stance norm was considered at the time of establishment of the petitioners’ EGS Centres and the impugned decision to close down the above named 5 EGS Centres is contended to be unwarranted as these EGS Centres are claimed to be located 1.5 kilometer away from the nearest regular school. It is also submitted that before the impugned direction, no opportunity was afforded to the concerned Centres. On the other hand it is contended by the learned standing counsel for the SSA th at the impugned directions for closure have been issued only because the locatio n of the Centres did not satisfy the distance criteria as laid down in the Schem e for setting up of Amar Pathshala which is implemented under the Education Gu arantee Scheme and it is further contended that if un-deserving EGS Centres are allowed to function, the children of the needy where no regular Schools are func tioning, would not have access to education and there would also be duplication of efforts, in providing education in the under-developed areas of the State. Having regard to the above contentions of the learned counsels appearing for the parties it is apparent that the EGS Centres can be allowed to operate only in s uch locations where no regular schools are functioning within a distance of 1.5 km. This is a simple matter of verification and if an inquiry is conducted with due participation of the concerned EGS Centres, it can be easily established as to whether the Centres are located, as per the distance norms prescribed under t he scheme. There is no indication that the petitioners were given any opportunit y before the impugned closure was ordered. In view of above and considering the interest of the targeted beneficiaries, I f eel that this writ petition should be disposed of by directing the respondents t o issue a show cause notice to provide for an opportunity to the writ petitioner s to show that the concerned EGS Centres have been set up and are functioning at a distance of more than 1.5 km. from a regular School. If any of the Centres ar e unable to fulfill the distance norms, necessary action for closure of such Cen tres after considering the show cause reply and due verification may be taken. T he requisite exercise in this regard may be completed within a period of 6 weeks from today. The writ petition is disposed of accordingly.