Authority: High Court of Meghalaya at Shillong
Order Date: 05 Oct 2026
Case Overview
- Parties: Petitioner Shri Bolin Patra (son of late Kuledhar Patra, former Assistant, Survey of India, Shillong) versus respondents: Union of India (Ministry of Home Affairs), Surveyor General of India (through Director, GDC Guwahati), Survey of India Khalasi Assam & Nagaland GDC Shillong Wing.
- Nature of Proceeding: Writ petition (WP(C) No. 422 of 2026) seeking compassionate appointment in the Survey of India following the death of the petitioner’s father on 16‑04‑2014.
- Timeline: Application for compassionate appointment filed on 13‑10‑2014; respondents rejected the application on 08‑06‑2016. Petition filed in the High Court on a date prior to 05‑10‑2026, i.e., more than ten years after the rejection.
- Allegations/Prayer: Petitioner requested that the court consider his case for a compassionate appointment to alleviate financial hardship after his father’s death.
- Court Observations: The court noted the extreme delay in approaching the judiciary, emphasizing that the petition was filed over a decade after the rejection. Examination of documents revealed that as early as 24‑05‑2016 the petitioner’s case was deemed ineligible for compassionate appointment. The purpose of compassionate appointment is to aid immediate family members of a deceased employee facing destitution; the petitioner did not satisfy eligibility criteria at the time of consideration.
- Reasoning: Given the petitioner’s ineligibility in 2016 and the undue delay in filing the writ, the court found the petition to lack merit.
Final Outcome
- The writ petition is dismissed. No appointment or any other relief is granted to the petitioner.
Topics: Compassionate Appointment, Employment Law