1. Heard. The present appeal was filed on 10-4-1981. Admittedly, the limitation for filing the appeal expired on 27-3-81. The appellant filed this present application for condoning the delay on 30-8-83. The question is whether there was sufficient cause for not filing the appeal on 27-3-81 and prior to 27-3-81. According to the appellant-State of Bihar, the delay was due to observing all the formalities which had to be done in the offices of the State of Bihar before the filing of the appeal. It appears that prior to 27-3-81, the Law Secretary to the State Government had referred the matter to the Advocate General and the opinion of the Law Officer of the State Government was sent to the Law Department, the file appears to have been received back in the Law Department on 24-3-81, and though the Officers of the Law Department must be credited with the knowledge that the appeal would become time barred, if it was not filed till 27-3-81, the file was not sent to the office of the Advocate General for filing the appeal till after 6-4-81. The explanation given for this period in the petition and the supplementary affidavits is that the Law Secretary was busy in some important wo