IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.14008 of 2025 ====================================================== 1. Pushpa Kumari W/o Late Chandra Bhushan Singh, R/o Village- Ghoishrama, P.S.- Hayaghat, District Darbhanga. 2. Maulesh Kumar Singh @ Bikky Raj Singh, S/o Chandra Bhushan Singh, R/o Village- Ghoishrama, P.S.- Hayaghat, District Darbhanga. ... ... Petitioner/s Versus 1. The State of Bihar through the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, Patna. 2. The Principal Secretary, Water Resource Department, Government of Bihar, Patna. 3. The Divisional Commissioner, Darbhanga Division, Darbhanga. 4. The Collector-cum-District Magistrate, Darbhanga. 5. The Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resource Department, Government of Bihar, Patna. 6. The Executive Engineer, Flood Control Division, Hathauri, Darbhanga. ... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Jagnnath Singh, Advocate For the Respondent/s : Mrs. Archana Meenakshee, GP-6 Mr. Harish Singh, AC to GP-6 Mr. Rana Veer Prawar, AC to GP-6 Mr. Rohit Singh, AC to GP-6 ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJIV ROY ORAL ORDER 2 04-09-2025 Heard Mr. Jagannath Singh, learned counsel for the petitioner and the State. 2. The present petition has been preferred for the following relief(s): “for issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari or any other appropriate writ/rule/direction for quashing the order dated 02.01.2025 passed by the Collector-cum-District Patna High Court CWJC No.14008 of 2025(2) dt.04-09-2025 2/8 Magistrate, Darbhanga in compliance to the order passed in C.W.J.C. No. 10974 of 2023 by order dated 24.09.2024 through the Respondent No. 5 Collector, Darbhanga was directed to refer the matter of the petitioner in accordance with Section 64 of the Act, within period prescribed under the Act but the Ld. Collector, Darbhanga was pleased to hold that he has no power to hear the petition under Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (hereinafter referred to as the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 in short) and accordingly the petitioner was directed to file his petition before the Court of Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority, Darbhanga U/s 64 of the Land Acquisition Act and thereby directing either the Ld. Collector, Darbhanga to make a reference to the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority as provided U/s 64 of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, or to direct the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority where the petition of the petitioner is pending consideration which was filed on Patna High Court CWJC No.14008 of 2025(2) dt.04-09-2025 3/8 22.03.2025 itself (Annexure P/8) to decide his application at the earliest after hearing. AND/OR Pass any order/orders, direction/directions as deem fit under the facts and circumstances of the present case.” 3. The matter relates to the land of the petitioner at Hayaghat, Karachin embankment under village Ghoshrama, Sheet No. 1, Thana No. 211, Khata No. 334, Survey Plot No. 467 (Area 52 Decimals) and Khata no. 234, Survey plot No. 2242 (Area 9 decimal) beside Khata No. 466, Survey Plot No. 2240 (Area 14.5 decimals) in the district of Darbhanga. 4. This is the second round of the knocking of the doors of Patna High Court by the petitioner. Earlier, he moved before this Court in CWJC No. 10974 of 2023 which came to be disposed of on 24.09.2024 by a Coordinate Bench directing the Collector, Darbhanga to look into the matter under Section 64 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (henceforth for short ‘the 2013 Act’) (Annexure P/6 to the petition). 5. The Collector, Darbhanga took up the matter on 02.01.2025 and passed the following order: Patna High Court CWJC No.14008 of 2025(2) dt.04-09-2025 4/8 U;k;ky; lekgrkZ ,oa ftyk n.Mkf/kdkjh] njHkaxk iqueZqY;kadu okn la[;k& 78@2024 iq’ik dqekjh ,oa vU;&cuke&fcgkj ljdkj ,oa vU; vkns”k dh dze vkns”k vkSj inkf/kdkjh dk gLrk{kj vkns”k ij dh xbZ la[;k vkSj rkjh[k dkjZokbZ ds ckjs esa fVIi.kh] rkjh[k lfgr 02@1@25 vkns k” izLrqr okn iq’ik dqekjh] ifr pUnzHkw’k.k flag ,oa vU; xzke $ iks0 & ?kks’kjkek] Fkkuk& gk;k?kkV] ftyk njHkaxk dh vksj ls ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky;] iVuk ds lh0MYcw0ts0lh0 la[;k& 10974@2023 esa fnukad&24-0-2024 dks ikfjr vkns”k ds vkyksd esa nkf[ky fd;k x;k gS] dk voyksdu fd;kA vkosnd dh vksj ls fo}ku vf/koDrk dk dFku gS fd ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky;] ] iVuk ds mDr okn esa ikfjr vkns”k ds iz”uxr vf/kx`fgr Hkwfe dk iqueqZY;kadu gsrq ftyk inkf/kdkjh] njHkaxk dks lquokbZ dj vkns”k ikfjr djus gsrq funsf”kr fd;k x;k gSA vr% mDr vkns”k ds vkyksd esa mfpr vkns”k ikfjr fd;k tk;A fo}ku ljdkjh vf/koDrk dk dFku gS fd Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k rFkk iquokZl ,oa iqulFkkZiu vf/kfu;e&2013 dh /kkjk&64 ds vUrxZr lquokbZ djus dk {ks=kf/kdkj bl U;k;ky; dks izkIr ugha gSA iz”uxr ekeys dh lquokbZ ihBklhu inkf/kdkjh] Hkw&vtZu iquokZlu] iquO;ZLFkkiu izkf/kdkj] njHkaxk ds {ks=kf/kdkj esa Patna High Court CWJC No.14008 of 2025(2) dt.04-09-2025 5/8 gSA vr% vkosnd dks mDr U;k;ky; esa okn nkf[ky djus gsrq lq>ko fn;k tk ldrk gSA vkosnd ds fo}ku vf/koDrk ,oa fo}ku ljdkjh vf/koDrk rFkk vfHkys[k dk voyksdu fd;kA voyksdu ls Kkr gqvk gS fd ljdkj }kjk iz”uxr Hkwfe ds vf/kxzg.k ds i'pkr vkosnd dh vksj ls eqvkotk gsrq fu/kkZfjr jkf”k dk iwufuZ/kkj.k gsrq ekuuh; U;k;ky; esa okn nkf[ky fd;k x;k Fkk ftlesa ekuuh; U;k;ky; }kjk Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k rFkk iquokZl ,oa iquLFkkZiu vf/kfu;e&2013 dh /kkjk&64 ds rgr lquokbZ dj vkns”k ikfjr djus gsrq funsf”kr fd;k x;k gSA bl laca/k esa Li’V gS fd mDr vf/kfu;e ds rgr ftyk inkf/kdkjh dks lquokbZ djus dh “kfDr iznRr ugah gSA vr,o vkosnd dks ihBklhu inkf/kdkjh] Hkw&vtZu iquokZl] iquO;ZLFkkiu izkf/kdkj] njHkaxk ds le{k /kkjk 64 ds rgr viuk i{k j[kus gsrq lq>ko ds lkFk bl okn dh dk;Zokgh lekIr dh tkrh gSA ys[kkfir ,oa la”kksf/kr g@&vLi’V g@& vLi’V lekgRrkZ ,oa ftyk n.Mkf/kdkjh] lekgRrkZ ,oa ftyk n.Mkf/kdkjh] njHkaxk njHkaxk (Annexure P/7) 6. The present development is that the petitioner on her own moved before the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority, Darbhanga (for brevity ‘the LARRA’) in Revaluation Case which is pending (Annexure P/8). Patna High Court CWJC No.14008 of 2025(2) dt.04-09-2025 6/8 7. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the Collector, Darbhanga while passing the order completely overlooked the Section 64 of ‘the 2013 Act’ that was quoted in the earlier order. 8. Section 64 of ‘the 2013 Act’ read as follows: 64. Reference to Authority.-(1) Any person interested who has not accepted the award may, by written application to the Collector, require that the matter be referred by the Collector for the determination of the Authority, as the case may be, whether his objection be to the measurement of the land, the amount of the compensation, the person to whom it is payable, the rights of Rehabilitation and Resettlement under Chapters V and VI or the apportionment of the compensation among the persons interested: Provided that the Collector shall, within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of application, make a reference to the appropriate Authority: Provided further that where the Collector fails to make such reference within the period so specified, the applicant may apply to the Authority, Patna High Court CWJC No.14008 of 2025(2) dt.04-09-2025 7/8 as the case may be, requesting it to direct the Collector to make the reference to it within a period of thirty days. (2) The application shall state the grounds on which objection to the award is taken: Provided that every such application shall be made- (a) person making it was present or represented before the Collector at the time when he made his award, within six weeks from the date of the Collector's award; (b) in other cases, within six weeks of the receipt of the notice from the Collector under section 21, or within six months from the date of the Collector's award, whichever period shall first expire: Provided further that the Collector may entertain an application after the expiry of the said period, within a further period of one year, if he is satisfied that there was sufficient cause for not filing it within the period specified in the first proviso.” 9. Certainly, there is force in the submission of learned counsel for the petitioner. Patna High Court CWJC No.14008 of 2025(2) dt.04-09-2025 8/8 10. The Collector, Darbhanga before passing the order should have gone through Section 64 of ‘the 2013 Act’ and could have referred the matter to appropriate authority, instead, he chose to look the other way forcing the petitioner to once again move before Patna High Court as also ‘the LAARA’ 11. Learned State counsel submits that he need instruction. 12. The Court has option of imposing cost as unnecessary, the petitioner has moved before this Court. 13. The Court is of the opinion that instead of sending the matter again to the Collector, Darbhanga who failed to look into the different provisions of ‘the 2013 Act’ and simply rejected the prayer, now that the petitioner has moved before ‘the LAARA’ herself, the concerned authority shall take up the matter in accordance with law, hear all the parties and dispose it of preferably by 31.03.2026. 14. The writ petition stands disposed of with aforesaid observation. Adnan/- (Rajiv Roy, J) U