Mr. Manish Biswas …… for the State Mr. Anuran Samanta …… for the respondent no. 1 The present writ petition has been preferred seeking an appropriate order, direction, or writ, especially in the nature of mandamus, commanding the concerned respondents to release the amount due to the petitioner for his services rendered as a vendor of data entry work related to the Summary Revision of Electoral Roll (hereinafter referred to as ‘SRER’) in the office of the Sub Divisional Officer, Kharagpur, for the years 2010-19, as well as for the preparation of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (hereinafter referred to as ‘EPIC’) of SRER.

Mr. Biswas, learned Advocate appearing for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner, having experience and expertise in data entry work, was engaged as a vendor for the data entry work of ‘SRER’ in the office of the Sub Divisional Officer, Kharagpur, for the years 2010-19, as well as for the preparation of ‘EPIC Cards’.

He further submits that after the successful completion of the work assigned to the petitioner, the petitioner raised a bill for Rs. 11,82,400/-, out of which an amount of Rs. 3,64,805/- has been paid to him in three equal installments. However, th