Judgement

MOHAPATRA, J. :- Shri Bimal Charan Mitra files this petition under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution with a prayer for issue of a Writ of Mandamus or any other Writ as may be deemed fit by the Court.

2. The petitioner was appointed as Personal Assistant to the Minister for Law, Development and Health Departments and was drawing a salary of Rs. 305/- per month in the scale of Rs. 175 - 350. File No. I. Med. XII A/1 of 1952 relating to the Health Department of the Government of Orissa was sent by the Secretary Health Department to the Minister for Health inside a closed cover on 24th of July, 1952 and was received at the Ministers office on the same date. The Minister disposed of this file as also several other files on 25th of July, 1952. It so happened that all other files excepting this one which were disposed of by the Minister on that date were despatched back to the respective departments promptly on the same day by the Gr. I assistant Shri Sankarsan Samal and the Diarist Shri Bijoynath Das of the Ministers office. This file however, remained in the Ministers office till 22nd of August, 1952 when the Diarist put the file in a cover, sealed it as it was confidentia