Bajarangbali Women Self Help Group, Basudevpur Vs State of Odisha

1. This writ petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, 1950 has been filed by the petitioner praying for quashing the Office Order dated 03.01.2026 under Annexure-1 issued by the Collector, Bhadrak (Opp. Party No.3) relating to the exclusion of the name of the petitioner-WSHG from the Annexure-8 as a society/agency for the procurement of paddy of Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26 and to declare the action of the Opp. Parties relating to the exclusion of the name of the petitioner for the procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26 as arbitrary and illegal and to issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the Opp. Parties to allow the petitionerWSHG to procure Paddy for KMS 2025-2026 in accordance with the notified policy along with other reliefs, to which, the petitioner-WSHG is entitled for.

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2. The case of the petitioner-WSHG is that, as per the decision of the District Level Paddy Procurement Committee (DLPC) for KMS 2025-26, the petitioner-WSHG was selected as a paddy procurement society/agency of Basudevpur Block.

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Thereafter, as per the order issued by the Collector, Bhadrak (Opp. Party No.4), a training programme was conducted and in such training programme, the members of the petitionerWSHG successfully completed their training and demonstrated their preparedness to procure paddy in compliances with the policy frameworks. Thereafter, the authorities distributed paddy procurement equipments to all the selected WSHGs including the petitioner-WSHG, to which, the petitioner-WSHG received with proper acknowledgments.

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The above conduct of the Opp. Parties is clearly clarifying that, petitioner-WSHG was fully equipped in its all respect for the procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26. Nodal Officer was also duly appointed for the smooth progress of the paddy procurement system by the petitioner-WSHG and the final list of eligible Women Self Help Groups including the petitionerWSHG for the procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26 was prepared on dated 02.01.2026 as per Annexure-8, in which, the name of the petitioner-WSHG was in Sl. No.5, but on its next day, i.e. on 03.01.2026, suddenly, the same Collector, Bhadrak (Opp. Party No.3) unilaterally and illegally issued the

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impugned Office Order vide Annexure-1 excluding the name of

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the petitioner-WSHG as an agency for the procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26 behind the back of the petitioner without giving any opportunity of being heard to the petitioner-WSHG for the exclusion its name from the paddy procurement system for KMS 2025-26 and illegally tagged to the registered farmers of the petitioner-WSHG with Opp. Party No.7-WSHG for the paddy procurement for KMS 2025-26.

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For which, without, getting any way, the petitioner filed this writ petition against the Opp. Parties praying for quashing the impugned Letter/Order dated 03.01.2026 vide Annexure-1 issued/passed by the Collector, Bhadrak (Opp. Party No.3) relating to the exclusion of the name of the petitioner-WSHG as an agency for the procurement of paddy for Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26 and to declare the action of the Opp. Parties as arbitrary and illegal and to issue a Writ of Mandamus against the Opp. Parties directing the Opp. Parties to allow the petitioner-WSHG to procure the paddy for KMS 2025-2026 in accordance with the notified policy.

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3. I have already heard from the learned counsel for the

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petitioner, learned Standing Counsel for the State and the learned counsel for the Opp. Party No.7.

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4. The undisputed documents relied by the petitioner vide Annexures-5 & 8 to 11 are going to show that, the petitioner was selected as a paddy procurement society /agency for KMS 2025-26 of Basudevpur Block in the District of Bhadrak and its PACS Code No. was S2040113 and accordingly, as per the Order of the Collector, Bhadrak (Opp. Party No.3), the members of the petitioner-WSHG successfully completed the training programmes for the procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26 and the equipments for paddy procurement were issued by the authorities to the petitioner-WSHG. In the final list prepared by the Opp. Parties dated 02.01.2026 vide Annexure-8, the name of the petitioner was reflected by the Opp. Parties in Sl. No.5 as a paddy procurement society/agency of Basudevpur Block for KMS 2025-26, but as per Letter No.69 dated 03.01.2026 (Annexure-1), the Opp. Party No.3 eliminated/excluded the name of the petitionerWSHG from the paddy procurement system of KMS-2025-26 tagging the registered farmers of the petitioner-WSHG with the Opp. Party No.7 for the procurement of paddy in place of the petitioner under the following grounds i.e.

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“(i). No specific office room and office infrastructure available.

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(ii). Rest shed for farmer, Toilet facilities, paddy storage shed CCTV & Godown facility is not available

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& the registered farmers of the WSHG will be tagged to Naikanidhi PACS, Basudevpur (Opp. Party No.7).”

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5. The undisputed documents relied by the petitioner vide

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Annexures-5 & 8 to 11 are going to show that, the petitionerWSHG was selected as a paddy procurement society /agency for KMS 2025-26 of Basudevpur Block in the District of Bhadrak and its PAC Code No. was S2040113 and accordingly, as per the Order of the Collector, Bhadrak (Opp. Party No.3), the members of the petitioner-WSHG successfully completed the training programmes for the procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26. In the final list prepared by the Opp. Parties dated 02.01.2026 vide Annexure-8, the name of the petitioner was reflected by the Opp. Parties in Sl. No.5 as a paddy procurement society/agency of Basudevpur Block for KMS 2025-26, but as per Letter No.69 dated 03.01.2026 (Annexure-1), the Opp. Party No.3 eliminated/excluded the name of the petitioner-WSHG from the paddy procurement system of KMS-2025-26 of Basudevpur Block without

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assigning any reason.

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6. When the petitioner was selected by the Opp. Parties as

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a paddy procurement society/agency for the KMS 2025-26 and when trainings were provided to the members of the petitioner-WSHG by the Opp. Parties for the same and when in the final list of the selected WSHGs as paddy procurement societies/agencies for KMS 2025-26 was prepared indicating/reflecting the name of the petitioner in the Serial No.5 of the Letter/Order No.19 dated 02.01.2026 vide Annexure-8, then, on the basis of the said undisputed documents vide Annexures 5 & 8 to 11, certain rights were created in favour of the petitioner-WSHG as a selected paddy procurement society/agency for the procurement of paddy for KMS 2025-26 of Basudevpur Block and when on 03.01.2026, as per the impugned Office Letter No.69 dated 03.01.2026 vide Annexure-1, the Opp. Party No.3 eliminated/excluded the name of the petitioner from such list without any reason, then, at this juncture, as per law, before elimination/exclusion of the name of the petitioner-WSHG from Annexure-8 as per Annexure-1, an opportunity of being heard should have been given by the Opp. Party No.3 to the petitioner to have its say before the Opp. Party No.3 explaining/objecting the cause and

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reason for the elimination of its name, but, the Opp. Party No.3 has not done so.

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The Annexure-1 is not going to show about the providing of any opportunity of being heard to the petitioner-WSHG for the elimination of its name from Annexure-8.

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When the impugned Office Letter No.69 dated 03.01.2026 vide Annexure-1 has been issued/passed by the Opp. Party No.3, eliminating/excluding the name of the petitioner-WSHG as a paddy procurement society/agency for KMS 2025-26 of Basudevpur Block after creation of certain rights in favour of the petitioner as per Annexures-5 and 8 to 11 without issuing any show-cause, without giving any opportunity of being heard to the petitioner-WSHG, then, at this juncture, the impugned Letter/Order No.69 dated 03.01.2026 (Annexure-1) issued/passed by the Opp. Party No.3 (Collector, Bhadrak) cannot be sustainable under.

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For which, there is justification under law for making interference with the same through this writ petition filed by the petitioner-WSHG.

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7. Therefore, there is merit in the writ petition filed by the

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petitioner-WSHG. The same is to be allowed.

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8. In result, the writ petition filed by the petitioner is allowed.

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9. The impugned Letter/Order No.69 dated 03.01.2026 vide Annexure-1 issued/passed by the Opp. Party No.3(Collector, Bhadrak) only relating to the elimination/exclusion of the name of the petitioner-WSHG as a paddy procurement society/agency of Basudevpur Block for KMS 2025-26 is quashed without interfering with the tagging up of the registered farmers of the petitioner-WSHG with the Opp. Party No.7-WSHG in the said Annexure-1.

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10. The Opp. Party No.3 (Collector, Bhadrak) is directed to consider the matter relating to the elimination/exclusion of the name of the petitioner as a paddy procurement society/agency of Basudevpur Block for KMS 2025-26 afresh and to take fresh decision on the same after issuance of showcause notice to the petitioner-WSHG providing the petitionerWSHG an opportunity for filing of its reply against the showcause as well as after giving opportunity of being heard to the petitioner-WSHG and others, if any, in full compliance with

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the principles of natural justice clarifying that, the tagging up

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of the registered farmers of the petitioner-WSHG with the Opp.

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Party No.7-WSHG for the procurement of the paddy for KMS 2025-26 indicated in Annexure-1 is remained undisturbed/ unaltered.

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It is made clear here that, if in the fresh decision of the Opp. Party No.3 (Collector, Bhadrak), it is found that, the alleged grounds for elimination/exclusion of the name of the petitioner-WSHG indicated in Para No.4 of this Judgment are false, then, the petitioner-WSHG is at liberty to claim compensation for unnecessary harassments on the basis of the alleged false allegations against the erring persons/officials those had alleged such false allegations. 11. As such, this writ petition filed by the petitioner is disposed of finally.

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(ANANDA CHANDRA BEHERA) JUDGE

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High Court of Orissa, Cuttack The 19 .02. 2026// Rati Ranjan Nayak Sr. Stenographer

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Signature Not Verified

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Digitally Signed Signed by: RATI RANJAN NAYAK Reason: Authentication Location: OHC Date: 20-Feb-2026 16:54:07

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Bajarangbali Women Self Help Group, Basudevpur v. State of Odisha

Case brief

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Bajarangbali Women Self Help Group, Basudevpur v. State of Odisha

Case brief

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