Md. Aalam v. The State of Bihar

Patna HC24 Jun 2026CWJC/20189/2019

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

PDS dealer selection challenged as against reservation policy; Bihar Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order 2016 S.32(iii), 32(v), 32(vi); alternative remedy — appeal to District Officer/District Magistrate, revision to Divisional Commissioner; District Magistrate head of Selection Committee cannot review own order; S.5 Limitation Act condonation; writ disposed with directions; Patna High Court CWJC No.20189 of 2019; Md. Aalam v. State of Bihar; Shanti Devi private respondent; G. Anupama Chakravarthy, J.; NAFR.

What did the court decide?

Petitioner directed to file a complaint/application before the concerned authority (Divisional Commissioner) within one month of receipt of the order; the delay in filing to be condoned; the authority to dispose of the complaint/application within three months of filing. ¶¶43 (para 7)

Md. Aalam Vs The State of Bihar — Patna HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶¶43 (para 7)

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner's grievance (selection of the private respondent as PDS dealer allegedly against the reservation policy) should be pursued through the writ petition despite the alternative remedy of appeal/revision available under the Bihar Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016. +1 more

¶¶32 (para 4)

Court's answer

The petitioner has an alternative remedy under the Bihar Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016; accordingly the writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the petitioner to file a complaint/application before the concerned authority within one month from receipt of the order.

¶¶42 (para 6)

Ratio / Principle

Since the District Magistrate is the head of the Selection Committee, he cannot review his own order in an appeal; therefore the petitioner is directed to file a complaint/application before the Divisional Commissioner.

¶¶32 (para 4)

Key takeaways

The delay in filing the complaint/application shall be condoned by the authority concerned, and the authority shall dispose of the complaint/application within three months from the date of filing.ratio¶¶42 (para 6)

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Patna High Court (G. Anupama Chakravarthy, J.), CWJC No. 20189 of 2019 (Md. Aalam v. State of Bihar & Ors., incl. private respondent Shanti Devi): petitioner sought cancellation of the private respondent's selection as PDS dealer as being against the reservation policy and appointment/licence for a person of the extreme backward category. The court noted the alternative remedies under the Bihar Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016 — appeal under S. 32(iii) and revision before the Divisional Commissioner under S. 32(vi) — observed that the District Magistrate, as head of the Selection Committee, cannot review his own order in appeal, and disposed of the writ petition, directing the petitioner to file a complaint/application before the Divisional Commissioner within one month, with the delay condoned (reference to S. 5 of the Limitation Act) and disposal within three months. Interlocutory applications, if any, stand disposed of. NAFR.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.20189 of 2019

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Md. Aalam S/o Late Abdul Haq Resident of Village- Habibpur, P.s.- Jagdishpur, in the district of Bhagalpur

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... ... Petitioner

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Versus

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The State of Bihar through District Magistrate, Bhagalpur

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The Sub-Divisonal Officer Bhagalpur

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The Block Development Officer Jagdishpur, Bhagalpur

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Shanti Devi W/o Upendra Mandal Resident of Village- Komari Tola, P.s.Jagdishpur, Distt.- Bhagalpur

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... ... Respondents

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¶12

Appearance :

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For the Petitioner : Mr. Nalin Vilochan Tiwary, Advocate For the Respondents : Mr. S.Raza Ahmad, AAG5

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CORAM: HONOURABLE JUSTICE SMT. G. ANUPAMA CHAKRAVARTHY ORAL JUDGMENT

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Date : 24-06-2026

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The present Writ petition is filed for the

¶18

following reliefs:-

¶19

“For issuance of appropriate writ/writs, Rule/ Rules, Order/orders in the nature of mandamus directing the respondent authorities to show cause as to why the selection of the private respondent as PDS dealer be not cancelled being against the reservation policy.

¶20

For direction to the respondent authority to appoint or grant license to person belonging to extreme backward category for which the post was reserved”

¶21

At this juncture, the Learned counsel for the respondents contended that Section 32(iii) of the Bihar Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016 provides for the provision of appeal and Section

¶22

Patna High Court CWJC No.20189 of 2019 dt.24-06-2026 2/4

¶23

32(vi) of the Bihar Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016 provides for the provision of revision. Section 32(iii) 32(v) and 32(vi) read as follows:

¶24

“32 (iii). Any person aggrieved by an order of the licensing authority denying the issue or renewal of the license to the fair price shop owner or cancellation of the license may appeal to the District Officer within thirty days of the date of receipt of the order and the District Magistrate shall, as far as practicable, dispose the appeal within a period of sixty days.”

¶25

32. (v) Till the disposal of appeal pending, the Appellate Authority may direct that the order under appeal shall not take effect for such period as the authority may consider necessary for giving a reasonable opportunity to the other party under sub-clause (4) or until the appeal is disposed of, whichever is earlier.

¶26

(vi) Due to non disposal of the appeal within sixty days by the District Officer or against the order passed in the appeal, a revision may be filed before the Divisional Commissioner. The revision shall be disposed of within two months.

¶27

3. Admittedly, from the reliefs prayed for in

¶28

the Writ petition, it is evident that the petitioner has an

¶29

Patna High Court CWJC No.20189 of 2019 dt.24-06-2026 3/4

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alternative remedy under the provisions of Bihar

¶31

Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016.

¶32

The remedy available under the Act is to prefer an appeal before the District Magistrate. As the District Magistrate is the head of the Selection Committee, he cannot review his order in an appeal. Therefore, the petitioner is directed to file a complaint/application before the Divisional

¶33

Commissioner.

¶34

The Learned counsel for the petitioner

¶35

contended that he intends to file a

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complaint/application before the concerned authority, but the limitation period for filing the same has lapsed.

¶37

He prayed for a direction to the concerned authority to

¶38

entertain the same in accordance with Section 5 of the

¶39

Limitation Act.

¶40

Patna High Court CWJC No.20189 of 2019 dt.24-06-2026 4/4

¶41

Taking into consideration that the petitioner

¶42

has an alternative remedy for filing complaint/application, the Writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the petitioner to file complaint/application within one month from the date of receipt of this order before the concerned authority. The delay in filing the complaint/application shall be condoned by the authority concerned, and the authority shall dispose of the same within three months from the date of filing of the same.

¶43

With the above said observation, the Writ petition is disposed of.

¶44

Interlocutory Application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.

¶45

(G. Anupama Chakravarthy, J)

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Shanu/-

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AFR/NAFR	NAFR
CAV DATE	NA
Uploading Date
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Md. Aalam v. The State of Bihar

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Md. Aalam v. The State of Bihar

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

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