ORDER :

1. The present writ petition has been filed for quashing/setting aside part of the impugned order dated 24.11.2020 to the extent that the Managing Director, Jharkhand State Food Corporation (JSFC)-respondent no.4 has denied payment of appropriate amount against quantity of paddy procured by the petitioner from the farmers for which outstanding dues payable to the petitioner has already been accepted. Further prayer has been made for issuance of direction upon the respondent no.4 to make appropriate payment to the petitioner with respect to full amount paid by it to the farmers against the paddy procured in relation to the work executed under Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2016-17 undertaken pursuant to public contract issued for paddy procurement and agreement dated 2.12.2016 executed between the petitioner and the respondent no.6 in accordance with the order of the respondent no.2 as contained in memo no.4878 dated 1.12.2016 and the notification as contained in memo no.4877 dated 1.12.2016 issued by the respondent no.2 for constitution of Jharkhand Custom Milled Rice (Liability and Control) Order, 2016. The petitioner has also prayed for issuance of direction upon the respondent no.7- Food Corporation of India to make appropriate payment directly to the petitioner with respect to full amount paid by it to the farmers against paddy procured in relation to work executed under Kharif Marketing Season, 2016-17.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner while explaining the factual background of the case submits that the petitioner was appointed as Paddy Procurement Agency by the State Government for Khariff Marketing Season 2016-17 with respect to Santhal Pargana Division and North Chotanagpur Division (excluding Ramgarh District) vide resolutions dated 27.09.2016 and 02.11.2016. In course of paddy procurement process, certain issues arose which hampered the paddy procurement work and delivery of Custom Milled Rice (CMR). The petitioner made several representations before the concerned respondent authorities, however, instead of redressing and resolving the issues, the respondent no.2 blacklisted the petitioner vide order dated 29.06.2017. Aggrieved by the said order, the petitioner moved this Court by filing a writ petition being W.P.(C) No.2166 of 2018, which was disposed of vide order dated 21.08.2018 and the order of blacklisting dated 29.06.2017 passed by the respondent no.2 was quashed.

3. It is further submitted that prior to issuance of the aforesaid order of blacklisting dated 29.06.2017 a resolution as contained in memo no.2670 dated 19.06.2017 was issued by the respondent no.2, whereby the earlier resolution as contained in memo no.3846 dated 27.09.2016 was amended to the extent that the authorized nodal agency for paddy procurement i.e. the respondent no.4 would make payments of procured paddy from the revolving fund available for paddy procurement to those farmers whose payments were not cleared by the petitioner and amount of such payment would be compensated to the respondent no.4 by the respondent no.7 from the amount to be paid by it for deposited custom milled rice. The duty to arrange lifting of paddy from concerned LAMPS/PACCS, delivery of CMR to godowns of FCI and receiving of payment from FCI was also transferred to the respondent no.4. Pursuant to the said resolution, the respondent no.4 cleared the payment of farmers to the extent of Rs.17.47 crores. The petitioner requested the concerned authorities to settle the dispute regarding payment of procured paddy so that a clear picture could be drawn in order to ascertain the status of the funds lying with the respondent no.4, rice millers and PACCS/LAMPS. Thereafter, a reconciliation report was prepared by the Senior Assistant Manager (Contract), JSFC, Ranchi showing transactions carried out between the petitioner and the farmers, PACCS/LAMPS, Rice Mills, FCI (prior to blacklisting of the petitioner) as well as between the JSFC and farmers, PACCS/LAMPS, Ric