Disposed¶25

Ratneshwar Singh v. the State of Jharkhand

Jharkhand HC12 Feb 2026WPC/887/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Jharkhand HC writ petition disposed of; officiating allowance; Assistant Engineer (In-charge); regular promotion without monetary benefit; Annexure-6; pending representation; fresh representation to Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources; entitlement to be examined; timelines four weeks / six weeks / four weeks; rejection reasons to be communicated.

What did the court decide?

No immediate monetary relief granted; petitioners directed to file a fresh representation before respondent no. 2 (Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources) within four weeks, with decision within six weeks thereafter, extension of monetary benefits within a further four weeks if entitlement is found, and communication of rejection reasons within the same period if the claim is rejected. ¶25

Ratneshwar Singh Vs the State of Jharkhand — Jharkhand HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners, who officiated as Assistant Engineer (In-charge) before receiving regular promotion, are entitled to payment of officiating allowance / monetary benefits for the officiating period.

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Court's answer

Directs the petitioners to file a fresh representation before respondent no. 2, the Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, who will consider their case.

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Ratio / Principle

Fixes timelines: the representation is to be filed within four weeks and the decision taken within six weeks thereafter.

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Key takeaways

If the petitioners are found entitled, monetary benefits are to be extended within four weeks thereafter; if the claim is rejected for any reason, the reasons are to be communicated to the petitioners within the aforesaid period.ratio¶24
With the aforesaid observation and direction, the writ petition is disposed of.ratio¶25

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi (Ananda Sen, J.) - WP(S) No.887 of 2026, decided 12.02.2026. Three serving Assistant Engineers (Ratneshwar Singh, Anil Kumar Singh, Manoj Kumar Singh) prayed for payment of officiating allowance for the period they officiated as Assistant Engineer (In-charge) before receiving regular promotion, asserting their case was covered by Annexure-6 while their representation lay pending. State counsel submitted that the case required examination and that entitlement had first to be established. The petition was disposed of with directions: petitioners to file a fresh representation before respondent no. 2, the Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, within four weeks; decision within six weeks thereafter; if entitlement is found, monetary benefits to be extended within a further four weeks, and if rejected, reasons to be communicated within the same period.

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2026:JHHC:3892

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI

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WP(S) No.887 of 2026

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1.RATNESHWAR SINGH, son of Sri Janeshwar Singh, aged about 55 years, presently posted as Assistant Engineer, Irrigation Division, Jasidih Camp- Deoghar, resident of Surya Laxmi Apartment, Omakara Home, Ambedakar Nagar, P.O. & P.S. Deoghar, District Deoghar.

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ANIL KUMAR SINGH,, son of late Sahdeo Prasad Singh, aged about 54 years, presently posted Assistant Engineer, office of Superintending Engineer, Samagra Yojana Anweshan and Hydrology Circle-01, Ranchi, resident of Flat No.D3, Silverkunj Apartment, Road No.06, Patel Nagar, Hatia, Ranchi, P.O. & P.S. Hatia, District Ranchi.

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3.MANOJ KUMAR SINGH, son of Sri Kaushal Kishore Singh, aged about 42 years, presently posted Assistant Engineer, Urban Development Department, Govt. of Jharkhand, resident of Akash Ganga Apartment, Near New Town Hall, Lubby Circular Road, Dhanbad, P.O. & P.S. Dhanbad, District Dhanbad.

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… Petitioner(s).

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Versus

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The State of Jharkhand

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The Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, Govt. of Jharkhand, Nepal House, Doranda, P.O. & P.S. Doranda, District Ranchi.

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The Principal Secretary, Department of Finance, Govt. of Jharkhand, Project Building, Dhurwa, P.O. & P.S. Dhurwa, District Ranchi. … Respondent(s).

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CORAM : SRI ANANDA SEN, J.

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For the Petitioner(s) : Mr. Deepak Kr. Prasad, Advocate For the State : Ms. Ruchi Mukti, AC to AAG-IA

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02 / 12.02.2026 : The petitioners pray that the officiating allowance be paid to the petitioners. It is their case that they were working as Assistant Engineer (In-charge) and later on were given regular promotion but they have not got the monetary benefit while they were officiating as Assistant Engineer (In-charge).

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2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that their case is covered by Annexure-6 but their representation is kept pending.

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3. Learned counsel for the State submits that the case of the petitioners need to be examined and their entitlement also needs to be established first. Thus, if the petitioners file fresh representation

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2026:JHHC:3892

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before the respondent no. 2-Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, their case can be considered.

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4. Considering the submission of the parties, I direct the petitioners to file fresh representation before the respondent no. 2- the Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources who will consider the case of the petitioners.

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5. The representation should be filed within four weeks and the decision should be taken within six weeks thereafter.

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6. If it is found that the petitioners are entitled for any monetary benefits the same should be extended to them within a period of four weeks thereafter. If the claim of the petitioners is rejected for any reasons whatsoever the reasons should be communicated to the petitioners within the aforesaid period.

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7. With the aforesaid observation and direction, this writ petition is disposed of .

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(ANANDA SEN, J.)

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12.02.2026 Tanuj/CP-2

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Uploaded on 16.02.2026

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Ratneshwar Singh v. the State of Jharkhand

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Ratneshwar Singh v. the State of Jharkhand

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

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What the court decided

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Coram

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