IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA LPA No.1459 of 2009 LATA DEVI W/O VIVEK KUMAR MISHRA R/O VILL.- DHANGA (NAUHATTA WEST), P.O.- NAUHATTA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ- NAUHATTA WEST, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA (Respondent no.18 in the main writ petition)… Appellant. Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR THROUGH THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPTT., GOVT. OF BIHAR, PATNA 2. THE DIRECTOR, PANCHAYATI RAJ, BIHAR, PATNA 3. THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE, SAHARSA 4. THE SUB-DIVISIONAL OFFICER, SAHARSA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 5. THE BLOCK DEVELOPMENT OFFICER-CUM-CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NAUHATTA BLOCK, DISTT.- SAHARSA 6. ABHA SINGH W/O LATE ANIL KUMAR SINGH R/O VILL.+P.O.+P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER, PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, NAUHATTA EAST, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, PRESENTLY PRAMUKH, PANCHAYAT SAMITI, NAUHATTA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 7. SAJJAN KUMAR CHAUDHARY S/O JEEV KANT CHAUDHARY R/O VILL.+P.O.- BARAHI, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ HATI, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 8. SANTOSH KUMAR KAMAT S/O NASIBLAL KAMAT R/O VILL.- HEMPUR, P.O.- DHARAMPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, KASHIMPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 9. RADHE SADA S/O JHARI SADA R/O VILL.- BAKUNIA (BARWA-TOLA), P.O.- BAKUNIA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYT RAJ, BAKUNIA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 10. RAHMAN SAFI S/O KARI SAFI R/O VILL.- MAJHAUL, P.O.- SHAHPUR MAJHAUL, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM 2 PANCHAYAT RAJ, SHAHPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 11. MANGEN YADAV S/O LAKESHWAR YADAV R/O VILL.- KASIMPUR, P.O.- DUMRA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, KASIMPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 12. PRAMILA DEVI W/O ARUN KUMAR SINGH R/O VILL.- DIWRA, P.O.- KHARKA-TELWA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, KHARKA-TELWA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 13. SUJAY RAY S/O BALBHADRA ROY R/O VILL.+P.O.- EKRAH, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, CHANDRAYAN, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 14. NEELAM DEVI W/O VIVEKANAND THAKUR R/O VILL.+P.O.- MURADPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, MURADPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 15. PUNAM JHA W/O SHASHI JHA R/O VILL.- BRAHMINTOLI, P.O. KHARKA-TELWA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, KHARKA-TELWA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 16. NAWAL KISHORE ROY S/O LATE SUBODH ROY R/O VILL.- KATHUAR, P.O.- HATI, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, HATI, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 17. ANIRUDHA MUKHIA S/O LATE MAHABIR MUKHIA R/O VILL.- PAHARPUR, P.O.- KEDALIPATTI, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, KEDALI, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 18. SUNITA DEVI W/O SRI INDRA KUMAR YADAV R/O VILL.+P.O.- RASALPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, NAULA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 19. SHABNAM ARA W/O MD. TAUHEED R/O VILL.+P.O.- MOHANPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, 3 MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, MOHANPUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 20. JAI JAI RAM PASWAN S/O RAMBHAROSH PASWAN R/O VILL.+P.O.- SATTAUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, SATTAUR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 21. SONA DEVI W/O ASHOK SADA R/O VILL.- LALPUR, P.O.- DARHAR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, NAULA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 22. JUVEDA KHATOON W/O MD. ISRAIYAL R/O VILL.+P.O.- BARHARA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, DARHAR, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 23. MANGEN SAH S/O NOT KNOWN TO THE PETITIONER R/O VILL.+P.O.- NAUHATTA EAST, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, NAULA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 24. REKHA DEVI W/O SHRAVAN CHAUDHARY R/O VILL.+P.O.- CHANDRAYAN, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, BALKUNIA, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA 25. MD. SAHABUL S/O LATE SAIMUDDIN R/O VILL.+P.O.+P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA, MEMBER-CUM-UP-PRAMUKH, PANCHAYAT SAMITI, GRAM PANCHAYAT RAJ, NAUHATTA WEST, P.S.- NAUHATTA, DISTT.- SAHARSA ----------- 2. 16.4.2010 Questioning the legal propriety of the order dated 15.10.2009 passed by the learned Single Judge in C.W.J.C.No. 13600/2009 the present intra-Court appeal has been filed by the appellant- respondent no.18. On a perusal of the order passed by the learned Single Judge it is noticeable that the Pramukh 4 under the Bihar Panchayat Raj Act, 2006 (for brevity ‘the Act’) has fixed the meeting after 15 days despite mandate stipulated under section 44(3) of the Act that the meeting has to be fixed within 15 days. Be it noted, the said position was not disputed before the learned Single Judge. He has, accordingly, held that fixing of the date of the meeting was beyond the power of Pramukh. It is also worth noting, he has further observed that issuance of notice to hold the meeting on 22.10.2009 beyond the statutory period would not come in way of future requisition. In our considered opinion, the view expressed by the learned Single Judge is in accord with the Scheme of the Act. In the result, we do not find any merit in this appeal and accordingly, the same stands dismissed in limine. (Dipak Misra,C.J.) (Mihir Kumar Jha,J.) Surendra/ 5