counsel for the petitioner. The impugned order passed by the Appellate Authority is unsustainable in view of the fact that from perusal of the Notification dated 6th February, 2006 published in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), it would be evident that the Area Manager is duly authorized to file such appeal. By Gazette Notification dated 10.02.2006, in exercise of powers under Section 45(2)(i) of the Food Corporation Act, 1964 with the previous sanction of the Central Government, a Regulation called as “The Food Corporation of India (Authorisation of Officers for verification of pleading and other documents to be filed before various Courts, Tribunals, Authorities and Arbitrators) Regulations, 2005 was framed which came into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette. As per this Regulation, the Officers of the Corporation specified in the schedule annexed thereto, have been declared as the Principal Officers of the Food Corporation of India and are authorized to sign and verify plaints, petitions, appeals, reviews etc. before any Court, Tribunal, Authorities or Arbitrators on behalf of the Food Corporation of India. In that schedule, the Area Manager figures as serial no.10. Thus, the Area Manager, FCI, Muzaffarpur, being the “Principal Officer”, was having authority to sign the pleadings of the memo of
