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Synopsis

The Supreme Court has taken a serious view of the failure of Jharkhand government to assign a 20-year-old case related to wages, to a counsel and summoned the Chief Secretary of the state to explain why no one was present despite the service of notice.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Rajesh Bindal took exception to absence of counsel from Jharkhand, while hearing a writ petition filed by Bihar State Ardh Sarkari Arajpati Karmachari Mahasangh and others.

The bench said, "This is a matter relating to grant of wages to the employees for the last about 20 years. Notice to the respondents was issued vide order dated 14.11.2022."

It was further noted that the State of Bihar has filed its affidavit.

The Union government, represented by Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee, sought a week's time to file a reply.

However, the bench said, "In such a sensitive matter, the State of Jharkhand has been sleeping over it and not even concerned with engaging a counsel in this matter."

Court has also allowed the petitioner to file a rejoinder to the affidavit filed by Bihar government.

Advocate Pallavi Langar, who is on the panel of the State of Jharkhand, made a request that the court may not summon the Chief Secretary.

However, rejecting the request, the bench said,

"We are declining the said request for the reason that the present matter has not been assigned to any counsel for the State of Jharkhand and Ms. Langar has made this statement only in good faith to defend the State of Jharkhand,".

The matter will now be taken up for further hearing on October 9, 2023.

Case Title: BIHAR STATE ARDH SARKARI ARAJPATI KARAMCHARI MAHA SANGH & ORS. vs. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.