Supple. Sl. No. 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR AT IMPHAL PIL No. 16 of 2026 Shri. Soreiso Yangya, aged about 44, S/o Shri. Vangam Yangya, resident of Phungcham Village, P.O. & P.S. Ukhrul, Ukhrul District, Manipur. Petitioner Vs. 1. The State of Manipur represented by its Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur, New Secretariat, South Block, Mantripukhri Imphal West District, Manipur - 795001. 2. The Deputy Commissioner, Mini Secretariat South Block, P.O. & P.S. Ukhrul, Ukhrul District, Manipur – 795142. 3. The Sub-Divisional Officer, Chingai Block, P.O. & P.S. Chingai, Ukhrul District, Manipur-795142. 4. The Sub - Divisional Officer, Jessami Block, P.O. & P.S. Jessami, Ukhrul District, Manipur-795142. Respondents BEFORE HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. M. SUNDAR HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A. GUNESHWAR SHARMA For petitioner Mr. Mark Khapai, Advocate For respondents Mr. S. Chittaranjan, Additional Advocate General, Manipur along with Mr. A. Priyokumar Sharma, Advocate Date of Order 12.09.2026 2026:MNHC:206-DB JUDGMENT & ORDER (Oral) (M. Sundar, CJ) [1] The following abbreviations/short forms have been used in this order (for the sake of brevity, convenience and clarity): Sl. No. Abbreviation/Short Form/other short references Full Form/Expansion 1. WP Writ Petition 2. PIL Public Interest Litigation 3. WRRDCU Western Raphei Road Development Committee - Ukhrul, Chingai Block, Ukhrul District, Manipur - 795142 4. said representation Representation dated 27.07.2026 sent by WRRDCU, signed by writ petitioner, Soreiso Yangya in his capacity as Chairman of WRRDCU 5. RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete [2] Captioned WP has been filed as a PIL in this Court on 11.09.2026 espousing public interest of local populace of Tangkhul and Phoumai villages in Ukhrul and Senapati Districts respectively in the State of Manipur. [3] In the hearing today, Mr. Mark Khapai, learned counsel on record for writ petitioner is before this Court. [4] This Court is informed that writ petitioner is Chairman of WRRDCU. Subject matter of PIL is, construction of a RCC bridge across Chingjaroi River, which this Court is informed is now connected to access road to reach National Highway qua afore-referred two villages by way of a hanging/suspension bridge. Page 3 of 7 [5] The issue that has been highlighted by the protagonist of the captioned PIL is that the hanging/suspension bridge cannot bear the load of heavy and even mini trucks and therefore, heavy and even mini trucks are compelled to cross through ground level of said river even during wet seasons causing hardship and sometimes even loss of lives. Only pedestrian and light vehicles can ply on the existing hanging/suspension bridge is PIL petitioner’s say. It is also highlighted that the existing bridge is the only access for the afore-referred two villages to reach the national highway. [6] Be that as it may, it is seen from the case file that writ petitioner, describing himself as Chairman of WRRDCU has sent said representation and a scanned reproduction of the said representation (as placed before this Court in the case file) is as follows: [7] To be noted, said representation is dated 27.07.2026 but while handwriting the date, the year has been wrongly mentioned as 2027 in first page is learned petitioner counsel’s say who also expresses regret request handwritten ‘2027’ in 1st page of said representation as ‘2026’. Request acceded to owing to nature of the matter, facts and circumstances of captioned PIL. [8] Though learned counsel for PIL petitioner submits that said representation has been duly served in the offices of Hon’ble addressee and other 5 (five) co-addressees to whom copies have been marked, no acknowledgment has been placed before this Court. Ideally and under normal circumstances, this Court would insist on production of due acknowledgment qua Hon’ble addressee and 5 (five) other co-addressees to whom copies have been marked but considering the nature of the matter, this Court makes a mild departure and deems it appropriate to construe today (12.09.2026) as the notional date of receipt of said representation by the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur. [9] Issue notice. [10] Mr. S. Chittaranjan, learned Additional Advocate General for State of Manipur along with Mr. A. Priyokumar Sharma, learned State counsel, accepts notice for all four respondents. [11] Owing to the nature of the public issue that has been highlighted and projected, with the consent of learned counsel and learned State counsel i.e., with the consent of learned counsel on both sides, captioned main WP is taken up in the admission Board itself dispensing with the routine of filing an affidavit-in-opposition and this is also because captioned matter is not an adversarial litigation. [12] Notwithstanding the expansive prayer in the captioned WP, Mr. Mark Khapai, learned counsel for petitioner fairly submitted that the PIL petitioner abridges the prayer for the present and it will suffice if said representation is disposed of by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Manipur. This vastly descopes the legal perimeter of the captioned PIL and this is another reason for taking up the main WP in the admission Board itself dispensing with the routine of filing affidavit-in-opposition albeit with the consent of learned counsel on both sides. [13] Captioned WP is disposed of with a simple direction to the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur (to be noted, Respondent No. 1 has been described as ‘The State of Manipur, represented by its Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur, New Secretariat, South Block, Mantripukhri Imphal West District, Manipur – 795001’ and therefore we are not impleading Chief Secretary separately as respondent) to consider the said representation on its own merits, in accordance with law and dispose of the same by way of a speaking proceedings as expeditiously as the official business of the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur would permit but in any event within 12 (twelve) weeks from today, i.e. on or before 05.12.2026. In the interregnum, if the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur is of the view that further inputs, information, documents are required, it is open to the office of the Chief Secretary to requisition the same from the writ petitioner and writ petitioner will remain duty bound to respond to the same expeditiously and this exercise shall be completed within 4 (four) weeks from today (if the need arises) and the break up shall be a fortnight from today for office of Chief Secretary to requisition and another fortnight therefrom for writ petitioner to respond. [14] Disposal of the afore-referred said representation by way of speaking proceedings by the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur on or before 05.12.2026 such speaking proceedings shall be served on the writ petitioner or Mr. Mark Khapai, learned counsel on record for writ petitioner under due acknowledgment within 7 (seven) working days. In the normal circumstances, on disposal of a case, the vakalatnama gets extinguished, nonetheless in this case, at the request of and with the consent of Mr. Mark Khapai, learned counsel for petitioner, a mild departure is made and we write with the consent of learned counsel for PIL petitioner that service of speaking proceedings on Mr. Mark Khapai will suffice without insisting on service on writ petitioner and/or WRRDCU. [15] As regards the speaking proceedings disposing of the said representation (on its own merits and in accordance with law) if the writ petitioner, WRRDCU or any other person/entity is either not satisfied or is aggrieved, it is open to such person/entity concerned with the matter to come to this Court again with a suitable petition and/or approach any other Fora. If such a scenario unfurls, such legal proceedings will be considered on its own merits and in accordance with law untrammeled by instant order and in this regard, rights and contentions of all parties shall stand preserved. [16] Captioned PIL/WP is disposed of as closed in the aforesaid manner albeit with afore-referred directions, observations and preservation of rights and contentions in the manner set out supra. There shall be no order as to costs. JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE FR/NFR Sandeep P.S. I : Upload forthwith P.S. II : All concerned will stand bound by web copy uploaded in High Court website inter alia as the same is QR coded. KABORAMBA M SANDEEP SINGH Digitally signed by KABORAMBAM SANDEEP SINGH Date: 2026.09.14 16:05:51 +05'30'