The court directed the competent authority to decide a pending application for compassionate appointment in accordance with the applicable policy and law within 25 days, addressing the administrative inaction of the respondents.

(Cause-title taken from Case Information System)

Order on Board

1. Challenge in the present writ petition is to the inaction on the part of the respondent authorities in not deciding the petitioner's application dated 18.06.2020 seeking compassionate appointment, submitted consequent upon the death of his father, who died in harness on 19.03.2020, while serving as Rural Agriculture Development Extension Officer.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that immediately after the demise of his father, the petitioner submitted an application in the prescribed format along with all requisite documents on 18.06.2020 seeking compassionate appointment under the applicable policy. It is submitted that despite lapse of considerable time, no decision has been taken on the said application and no communication has been made to the petitioner. He, therefore, confines his prayer to a direction to the competent authority to consider and decide the petitioner's pending application within a time-bound period.

3. Learned State counsel submits that the pending representation of the petitioner shall be considered and decided by the competent authority strictly in accordance with law within a reasonable time.

4. I have heard learned counsel for the parties.

5. Considering the limited prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioner, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the claim, this writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the competent authority/respondent No.1 to consider and decide the petitioner's application dated 18.06.2020 for grant of compassionate appointment, strictly in accordance with the applicable policy and law, by passing a reasoned and speaking order, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within 25 days from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order.

6. It is made clear that this Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the petitioner's claim, and the competent authority shall decide the matter independently in accordance with law.

7. With the aforesaid observations and directions, the writ petition stands disposed of. No order as to costs.