Competent authority must decide pending posting representations by a reasoned order within thirty days.

The petitioner, Secretary of Gram Panchayat Taraigaon, was initially posted at Village Panchayat Taraigaon, Janpad Panchayat Gaurella, District Gaurella-Pendra-Marwahi. He was placed under suspension by order dated 3 July 2026. The suspension order was subsequently kept in abeyance by the Chief Executive Officer, Zila Panchayat, on 7 September 2026, following which the petitioner was posted at Village Panchayat Bhaskura, approximately 50 kilometres from his earlier place of posting

The petitioner submitted a representation dated 11 September 2026 to the Chief Executive Officer, Zila Panchayat, seeking posting at a nearer place, preferably Village Panchayat Taraigaon. As the representation remained pending, he approached the High Court seeking its consideration and disposal

Whether the Chief Executive Officer, Zila Panchayat, should be directed to consider and decide the petitioner’s pending representation seeking posting at a nearer place, in accordance with law and the applicable rules or policy

Whether the Court could grant the petitioner posting at any particular place, including Village Panchayat Taraigaon, on the facts presented

The Court applied the principle that a competent administrative authority must consider and decide a pending representation in accordance with law, the applicable rules or policy, and by passing a reasoned and speaking order.

The Court also recognised that decisions concerning posting and transfer fall within the domain of the competent administrative authority and that judicial directions should not predetermine the merits of a claim for posting at a particular place.

The Court noted that the petitioner’s representation dated 11 September 2026 was pending before the competent authority and that the State and respondent No. 4 had no objection to its consideration.

Since the petitioner sought only a limited procedural relief, the Court did not examine the merits of his request for posting at Taraigaon or any other particular location. It directed the Chief Executive Officer, Zila Panchayat, to independently consider the representation under the applicable legal framework and to issue a reasoned and speaking order, preferably within 30 days of receiving the Court’s order.

The Court clarified that it had expressed no opinion on the merits of the petitioner’s claim for posting at any particular place.