Authorities directed to decide pending compassionate appointment representations via reasoned and speaking order within stipulated timeline.

The applicant’s mother, a Class-IV Waiting Room Attendant under North Eastern Railway, died in harness on June 27, 2024, after serving since 1991

Following the demise, the applicant submitted representations dated July 15, 2024, and January 31, 2026, seeking compassionate appointment to alleviate the family's financial distress

The applicant’s siblings submitted "no-objection" affidavits in her favor, and she provided secondary education credentials to support her claim

The applicant approached the Tribunal seeking a direction to the respondents to decide her pending representations within a stipulated timeframe

1. Whether the respondent authorities are obligated to consider and decide the applicant's pending representations regarding compassionate appointment in a time-bound manner

The court applied the administrative principle of "reasoned and speaking orders," which mandates that competent authorities must address grievances and representations submitted by employees (or their dependents) by passing a formal, logical, and written decision

the court relied on the North Eastern Railway’s internal policy and rules governing compassionate appointments, which establish the criteria for providing relief to the dependents of deceased employees

The Tribunal noted the limited nature of the prayer, observing that the applicant was not seeking an immediate merit-based judgment on the right to appointment, but rather a direction for administrative action

Since the representations had been pending since 2024 and 2026 without a final decision, and given that the respondents’ counsel expressed no objection to a time-bound disposal, the Tribunal determined that the ends of justice would be met by compelling the authorities to act

The court refrained from evaluating the merits of the applicant’s eligibility under the compassionate appointment scheme, leaving that determination to the discretion of the Railway authorities

The court ordered the issuance of a reasoned and speaking order within one month from the date of receipt of the certified copy of the judgment