ORAL JUDGMENT

Date : 04-12-2024

1. Part-IX of the Constitution of India, containing Articles 243, 243-A to 243-O, was inserted in the Constitution (73rd Amendment Act, 1992) in order to give effect to the laudable vision of the Father of the Nation. Mahatma Gandhi envisaged about the existence of village republics, which were historically in existence in ancient India. It is the Gandhian philosophy that the best, quickest and most efficient way is to build up from the bottom. Every village has to become a self- sufficient republic and for village administration, local self government in the name of Panchayati Raj has been implemented by way of the aforesaid Constitutional amendment, so that almost all the local issues relating to education, health, housing, sewerage, municipal needs and other aspects of good-governance can be delivered through the Panchayat. The Father of the Nation thought of the idea of a Panchayat System of the Headmen of village (Panch Moral) but our experience, barring a minuscule exception, is that the “Panchayat of Panch Moral” became the “Panchayat of Panch Ghosts (Panch Bhoot)”. The Panchayati Raj system is greatly suffering from the vices of corruption, malpractice, giving relief to the persons who do not deserve such relief, consuming government aids on different counts. Even they do not spare the staples of mid-day meal to be fed to the little poor children from being eating up.

2. Under this backdrop of Panchayati Raj System, we proceed to decide the instant writ petition for adjudication.

3. Indisputably, the petitioner submitted his candidature for appointment of a Panchayat Teacher under Bihar Panchayat Prarambhik Shikshak (Niyojan Awam Seva Sharten) Niyamawali, 2006. Rule 4 of the said Niyamawali delineates the qualification for appointment of Panchayat Teachers. The said rule runs thus: -

4. पचप चायत पचारममቛኌक मशि्ቌकोሗ कचा मनिययोजनि :- (1) पखण्ड मशि्ቌकोሗ कचा मनिययोजनि मध्य मविदचालय मेሰ पचप चायत समममत कक दचारचा तथचा पचप चायत मशि्ቌक कचा मनिययोजनि पचाथममक मविदचालयोሗ मेሰ गचाम पचप चायत कक दचारचा

मकयचा जचायकगचा।

(2) मशि्ቌकोሗ ककी आविश्यकतचा कयो ध्यचानि मेሰ रखतक हएह उपयह቟኎क्त दयोनिोሗ स्तरोሗ पर कयोमटिविचार पमशिम्ቌत एविप अपमशिम्ቌत अभ्यमथ቟኎योሗ कचा पपनिल अलग-अलग तपयचार मकयचा जचायकगचा। सवि቟኎पथम पमशिम्ቌत मशि्ቌकोሗ कचा मनिययोजनि मकयचा जचायकगचा। तत्पशचात मरमक्त उपलब्ध हयोनि क पर अपमशिम्ቌक मशि्ቌकोሗ कचा मनिययोजनि ቛኌकी मकयचा जचा सककगचा और उन्हेሰ दयो

विरቧኍय पमशि्ቌण दकनि क ककी व्यविस्थचा ककी जचाएगकी।

(3) आरम्ቌत कयोमटि मेሰ उच्चतर मचाध्यममक /

इन्टिरमकीमडयटि परकी्ቌचा पचास उममकीदचार उपलब्ध निहीሻ हयोनि क ककी

मस्थमत मेሰ मचाध्यममक परकी्ቌचा पचास उममकीदविचारोሗ कयो ቛኌकी मनिययोमजत मकयचा जचा सककगचा। परन्तह उन्हेሰ मनिध቗ኋमरत ययोग्यतचा अमधकतम 6 विरर प कक अन्दर पचाप्त करनिचा

अमनिविचाय቟኎ हयोगचा।

4. It is also not in dispute that the petitioner passed Matriculation examination and submitted his candidature as per Sub-rule 3 of Rule 4 for appointment of a Panchayat Teacher in the year 2006 on the basis of an advertisement duly published on 11th of February, 2006 by the District Education Officer, Vaishali. It would not be out of place to mention that in respect of filling up of vacancy of 11 candidates, counselling was held prior to 16th of December, 2006 and 9 candidates were selected. Out of the said 9 candidates, 2 candidates did not join, resulting in vacancy of 4 candidates, belonged to B.C. (F), S.C. (F), EBC (M) and EBC (F) having one candidate each in each reserved category.

5. Be that as it may, a fresh counselling was held on

29th of December, 2006 under the Chairmanship of Mukhiya- Smt. Ruma Devi, Ward Member-Smt. Chandrama Devi, Panchayat Member and Sri Janarain Singh, Assistant Teacher, High School, Jahangirpur and the petitioner selected in the said counselling and duly appointed on 29th of December, 2006. She had been working as Primary School Teacher, Parohar after his selection w.e.f. 6th of January, 2007.

6. To cut-short the matter, the dispute involved in the writ petition arose between the petitioner and Respondent No. 9, who