Court Criticises Administrative Delays, Says State Government Cannot Consider Itself Above the Law
Ranchi, October 29, 2026: The Jharkhand High Court has taken a firm stand against administrative negligence and delays in the processing of government files. A division bench comprising Chief Justice M. S. Sonak and Justice Manoj Prasad dismissed an appeal filed by the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department of the state government. The appeal challenged a single-judge bench order and was filed 243 days late. The court also rejected the plea seeking condonation of the delay.
Petitioner Died Before Receiving Pensionary Benefits
During the hearing, the High Court made serious observations about the functioning of the government machinery. The court noted that administrative delays and the practice of moving files from one desk to another had prevented one of the original writ petitioners, Ravindra Kumar Sinha, from receiving the benefits of the single-judge bench order during his lifetime. He passed away without receiving his pensionary benefits.
Law Applies Equally to Everyone, Including the State Government
Referring to several Supreme Court judgments, including the Living Media and Shivamma cases, the division bench clarified that the law of limitation applies equally to ordinary citizens and the state government.
The court observed that administrative sluggishness, departmental procedures and delays in moving files cannot automatically be treated as sufficient grounds for condoning a delay in filing an appeal.
The ruling sends a clear message that the state government and its officials cannot assume that statutory deadlines do not apply to them. Government departments are also required to comply with the prescribed legal timelines.
Citizens and Retired Employees Cannot Be Kept Entangled in Litigation Indefinitely
The High Court observed that cases involving the rights of ordinary citizens and retired employees cannot be allowed to remain entangled in litigation indefinitely. Courts cannot become a means of legitimising administrative negligence by the state government.
What Was the Case About?
The matter relates to writ petition W.P.(S) No. 2054/2018. A single-judge bench had directed that forest personnel from the Latehar region, including Ramesh Kumar Pathak and others, be granted pensionary benefits under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
The single-judge bench had also clarified that if the employees had received any amount under the Contributory Provident Fund (CPF), they would be required to refund that amount to the state government.
Appeal Filed 243 Days Late
The state government’s Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department filed a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) 243 days after the prescribed period while challenging the single-judge bench’s order. The department sought condonation of the delay from the High Court.
However, the court did not accept the grounds cited for the delay and dismissed both the delay-condonation petition and the appeal.
Single-Judge Bench Order Remains in Force
Following the High Court’s decision, the single-judge bench order directing pensionary benefits under the Old Pension Scheme to the forest personnel remains in force.
The court’s observations underline that administrative delays and the movement of files within government departments do not automatically provide grounds for exemption from statutory limitation periods.
