1 2025:CGHC:51075 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPC No. 5378 of 2025 1 - Jai Durga Machhua Sahkari Samiti Maryadit Gadhvat Through Ramsnehi Dhiwar, Aged About 48 Years, S/o Lt. Chhedi Lal, R/o Village Gadhvat, P.S. Ratanpur, Tahsil Beltara, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh 2 - Rajaram Nirmalkar S/o Late Itwari Lal Nirmalkar Aged About 50 Years Vice President, R/o Village Gadhvat, P.S. Ratanpur, Tahsil Beltara, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary, Department Of Fisheries, Mahanadi Bhawan, Atal Nagar Nawa Raipur, Chhattisgarh 2 - Director (Fisheries) 4th Floor, Indrawati Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Nawa Raipur, District Raipur Chhattisgarh 3 - Collector Bilaspur, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh 4 - Deputy Director Department Of Fisheries, Composite Building Bilaspur, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh 5 - Gram Panchayat Gadhvat Tahsil Beltara, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh. ---- Respondents ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Petitioners : Mr. Jitendra Pali, Advocate. For Respondent-State : Mr. Praveen Das, Dy. AG. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hon'ble Shri Arvind Kumar Verma, Judge Order on Board 2 14.10.2025 1. With the consent of the parties, matter is heard finally. 2. This writ petition has been preferred under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking following reliefs: “10. RELIEF/S SOUGHT: i. To kindly issue an appropriate writ, order or direction to the respondents to forthwith execute and register the lease deed in favour of the petitioner society with respect to the five ponds, namely - Juna Talab, Dabri Talab, Badi Talab, Kasahi Talab, and Chhewari Talab - for a lease period of ten (10) years, in terms of the said resolution and the Fisheries Policy of the State. ii. To kindly direct the respondent Collector, Bilaspur and the Deputy Director, Fisheries Department, Bilaspur to take all necessary steps to ensure strict implementation of the Fisheries Policy, protecting the preferential rights of registered Machhua Co-operative Societies, including the petitioner. Iii. To kindly issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ/order declaring that the resolution dated 06.12.2024 of the Gram Panchayat Gadhvat, insofar as it allots five ponds to the petitioner society, is binding and enforceable in law, and the respondents are under a legal obligation to give effect to the same. iv. To kindly pass such other and further order(s) as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit, just, and proper in the facts and circumstances of the present case.” 3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner draw attention of this Court to the New Fisheries Policy 2022 (Annexure P-3) and contended that State Government has issued a Fisheries Policy granting preferential rights to registered the Machhua Co-operative Societies to lease ponds within Gram Panchayat for fishing activities. Pursuant to said Fisheries Policy, concerned Gram 3 Panchayat Gadhvat passed a resolution dated 06.12.2024, allotting five ponds to the petitioner-society for a period of ten 10 years, however, despite said resolution, the respondents- authorities concerned have failed to execute the lease deed and thereby depriving the petitioner- society of its lawful rights. Petitioner-society has submitted repeated representations Annexure P-9 to P-11 before the concerned Sarpanch, Secretary, Collector & Deputy Director, Fisheries for bringing the matter to their notice, but no action has been taken till date and, thereby, causing irreparable loss to the petitioner, particularly with the rainy season and fish sowing period being on the verge of expiry. Hence, petitioner has came-up before this Court with aforesaid prayer. 4. Learned State Counsel contended that this writ petition may be disposed of with a direction to the concerned respondent-authority to consider and decide the pending representation of the petitioner, expeditiously, in accordance with law/rules. 5. Heard learned counsel for the parties. 6. Clause/Serial No.14 of New Fisheries Policy 2022 (Annexure P-3) reads as under: “14. पंचायत द्वारा अपंने क्षेत्राधिकारा अतर्गत आने वाले तलेब / जलेशय का मत्स्य पंलेने हेत शसने नेतित तिनेर्दे"श अनेरूपं यदिर्दे 03 महे तका पंट्टे पंरा आबटने नेहे' तिकाय जत हे(, त) ऐस तलेब / जलेशय का प्रकाराण जिजले म. पंर्देस्थ मछले पंलेने तिवाभार्ग का जिजलेधिकारा पंचायत का सज्ञाने म. लेकारा उक्त तिनेरिरात 03 महे का6 अवाधि का अर्देरा शसने का6 नेतित तिनेर्दे"श का तहेत आबटने का6 कायवाहे काराने का अनेरा) 4 कारार्ग। इस हेत 03 तिवाभार्गय ने)दिटस 30-30 दिर्देवास म. दिर्देय जवार्ग। तत्पंश्चात: भा पंचायत द्वारा पंट्टे आबटने का6 कायवाहे नेहे' तिकाय जने का6 स्थिस्थतित म. सबधित पंचायत का6 अनेशस / सहेमतित लिलेय तिबने तिनेयमनेसरा पंट्टे आबटने का अधिकारा पंचायत अधितिनेयम म. उल्लेखि?त तिवातिहेत प्रधिकारा ( सबधित जिजले का कालेक्टरा) का हे)र्ग। ऐस तलेब / जलेशय का6 पंट्टे रालिश सबधित पंचायत का)ष म. हे जम का6 जवार्ग। 7. Considering facts of the case, nature of reliefs, submission of counsel for the parties, particularly the submission that resolution dated 06.12.2024 of Gram Panchayat Gadhvat is in favour of the petitioner, the instant writ petition is disposed of at this stage directing the respondent/Collector to consider and decide the pending representation of the petitioner in accordance with relevant rule/law/regulation in an objective manner keeping in mind the New Fisheries Policy 2022 (Annexure P-3), preferably within an outer limit of ‘03 months’ from the date of receipt of copy of this order. 8. It is made clear that this Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case. CC as per rules. Sd/- (Arvind Kumar Verma) Judge J/-