1 W.P.(C) No. 257 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI W.P.(C) No. 257 of 2025 --- Nirala Kumar @ Nirala Kumar Saw son of Late Devlal Saw, resident of village- Dulhi, P.O.-Dulhi, P.S.- Pandwa, District- Palamau … … Petitioner Versus 1. The State of Jharkhand 2. The Deputy Commissioner, Palamau at Daltonganj 3. The Sub-Divisional Officer, Palamau 4. The Block Development Officer, Pandwa, District- Palamau 5. The Circle Officer, Pandwa, District- Palamau 6. Kunal Paswan son of Suresh Paswan, resident of village- Dulhi, P.O.-Dulhi, P.S.- Pandwa, District- Palamau …. … Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH SHANKAR For the Petitioner : Mr. Aman Kumar, Advocate For the Resp. Nos. 1 to 5 : Mr. Mohan Kumar Dubey, A.C. to A.G. Order No. 06 Dated: 06.03.2025 Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the respondent no. 6 has encroached the government land appertaining to plot no. 335, Village- Dulhi, Block- Pandwa, District- Palamau which is a public road as a result of which, the access to the petitioner’s house has been disrupted. The petitioner has represented the State authorities on several occasions agitating the said grievance, however no action has been taken on the same, which has compelled him to prefer the present writ petition. 2. Mr. Mohan Kumar Dubey, learned A.C. to A.G. appearing on behalf of the State respondents, submits that the petitioner may take recourse of Section 3 of the Bihar (now Jharkhand) Public Land Encroachment Act, 1956 (in short, “the Act, 1956”) for redressal of his aforesaid grievance by filing an application before the Circle Officer, Pandwa (the respondent no. 5) who is the 2 W.P.(C) No. 257 of 2025 “Collector” under the said Act. 3. I find justification in the submission of learned counsel for the State respondents. Section 3 of the Act, 1956 confers the jurisdiction to the “Collector” under the said Act (the respondent no. 5 herein) to take steps in accordance with the procedure provided under the same on receipt of an application made by any person or upon information received from any source that any person has made or is responsible for the continuance of any encroachment upon the public land. 4. Under the said circumstance, the petitioner is given liberty to take recourse of Section 3 of the Act, 1956 by filing an application before the respondent no. 5. On receipt of the said application, the respondent no. 5 shall take further steps as per the provisions of the Act, 1956. 5. The writ petition is disposed of with aforesaid liberty and direction. (Rajesh Shankar, J.) Ritesh/