15.07.2026 46 sdas WPA 11169 of 2026 Fatema Khatun & Anr. Vs. The State of West Bengal & Ors. Mr. Anjan Bhattacharya Ms. Anita Shaw Ms. Seema Thakur .….. for the petitioners Mrs. Indrani Chakraborty, learned AGP Mr. Falguni Bandhopadhya Mrs. Sarda Sha ……for the State 1. Report filed by the respondents is kept on record. 2. The petitioners are all engaged as Health Assistants (Female) in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal. The petitioners are all aggrieved that they have been posted at the places, which are far away from their place of residence. 3. In fact, as submitted by Mr. Bhattacharya, learned Advocate appearing for the petitioners, case of the petitioners has not been considered at all by the respondent no. 2. 4. On earlier occasions, two sets of applicants have been dealt with by the respondent no. 2 in a different manner. The first set of applicants of about 156 persons were granted the transfer while the second set of applicants were refused such transfer. The second set of applicants had approached this Hon’ble 2 Court on an earlier occasion and the respondent no. 2 was directed to consider their applications by an order of March 5, 2026 by a co-ordinate Bench of this Hon’ble Court holding that three years of uninterrupted and satisfactory service was primarily directory in nature as the very same person had permitted transfer of certain Health Assistants in the first set of applicants who had not fulfilled this three years service period. 5. However, since in the instant matter, the respondent no. 2 has not taken any decision as of now, I direct the respondent no. 2 to dispose of the applications of the petitioners herein by August 31, 2026, by giving a hearing to the petitioners or their authorized representatives with adequate prior notice. 6. With the aforestated directions, the writ petition is disposed of. 7. There will be no order as to costs. 8. Urgent photostat certified copy of the order, if applied for, be given to the parties upon usual undertakings. (Reetobroto Kumar Mitra, J.)