By the Court.—The petitioners claim to have executed various work orders which were issued under the National Rural Health Mission, between 10 January 2013 to 17 February 2014. According to the petitioners, the work orders were allotted by the second, third and fourth respondents and payments were sanctioned after satisfactory completion of work. Thereafter, it is alleged that cheques were issued but were not honoured as payment was stopped by the drawers. The petitioners have, thereafter, submitted a representation. Eventually, the writ petition has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents to clear the cheques in the total amount of Rs. 13,35,983/- after withdrawing the stop payment order and for payment of interest at the rate of 12 percent per annum.

2. On 18 April 2014, we directed the learned Standing Counsel to take instructions as to why the stop payment order had been issued by the department. Accordingly, the learned Standing Counsel has placed on the record, the instructions received by him on 26 April 2014 from the Chief Medical Officer, Siddharthnagar. The instructions reveal that certain irregularities were detected in the disbursement of funds under t