Authorities must verify scheme eligibility and decide pending benefit claims through a reasoned order.

The petitioners, Scheduled Tribe students, completed a four-year B.Sc. Nursing course after being admitted for the 2018–19 academic session at Mother Teresa Nursing College, Surajpur.

They claimed benefits, including reimbursement of non-refundable fees, under the State scheme for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe female students pursuing nursing courses.

After submitting details of their admission and fees, they received ₹58,730 each on 1 February 2024, but alleged that further amounts remained unpaid.

The State submitted that the Commissioner had identified deficiencies in the earlier verification report and directed the Assistant Commissioner to re-examine the matter; a subsequent departmental letter sought release of funds.

The petitioners sought directions for consideration and release of the admissible benefits.

1. Whether the petitioners’ claims for benefits under the nursing scheme should be examined and decided by the competent departmental authority.

2. Whether the Court should direct payment of the claimed amounts or require a reasoned decision after verification of entitlement and records.

The petition was brought under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

The Court applied the principle that a claim for benefits under the applicable scheme may be directed to the competent authority for examination against the claimant’s entitlement and relevant records, followed by an appropriate reasoned and speaking order in accordance with law.

The Court noted that the petitioners’ claims remained unresolved and that the departmental record showed both deficiencies in the earlier verification and a subsequent request for release of funds.

Because the claim was still under departmental consideration, the Court did not determine the amount payable or direct immediate disbursement. Instead, it required the Assistant Commissioner to verify entitlement and relevant records and decide the claims by a reasoned order.

The Court did not itself grant or quantify the claimed benefits.