IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA CONSTITUTIONAL WRIT JURISDICTION APPELLATE SIDE Present:

The Hon’ble Justice Ananya Bandyopadhyay W.P.A. 15142 of 2016 Anup Mula & Ors.

-Vs-

West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited & Anr.

With W.P.A. 1343 of 2019 Anup Mola & Ors.

-Vs-

West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited & Anr.

For the Petitioners : Mr. Rananeesh Guha Thakurta Ms. Senjuti Sengupta For the Respondent Nos. 1 & 2 : Mr. Ranjay De Mr. Basabjit Banerjee Heard on : 21.11.2024, 23.12.2024, 31.07.2025 Judgment on : 24.10.2025 Ananya Bandyopadhyay, J.:-

1. The petitioners have approached this Hon’ble Court invoking its extraordinary constitutional writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeking a writ in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondent authorities to engage the petitioner no. 1 under the Land-Loser category, and to extend suitable employment to the nominee of petitioner no. 3, whose land was acquired for the establishment of the Kolaghat Thermal Power Project of the West Bengal State Electricity Board (now under the WBPDCL).

2. It is the admitted position that during 1973-74, the ancestral land belonging to Smt. Lata Rani Manna (petitione