State authorities must pay admitted contractual dues within three months of certified order service.

The petitioner, a registered contractor under the Water Resources Department, was awarded work by work order dated 16 October 2018 for closing a breach and restoring flood damage to the left bank of the river Kumatia under the SDRF scheme for 2016–17.

The petitioner asserted that the work was completed in accordance with the approved plan, estimate and specifications, and that the authorities’ inspection report dated 9 January 2019 recorded satisfactory completion.

Despite completion, the admitted bill amount of ₹4,48,523 remained unpaid.

During the writ proceedings, the respondents admitted that the petitioner had executed the work and that the claimed amount had been approved for release; they also stated that budgetary and financial-sanction processes had been initiated.

Whether the petitioner was entitled to payment of the admitted amount of ₹4,48,523 for the completed government contract work.

Whether the Court should direct the respondents to disburse the admitted amount within a specified period.

The Court applied the constitutional jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution to require public authorities to discharge an admitted monetary obligation arising from completed government contract work.

The governing principle was that, where the government authorities expressly admit the petitioner’s entitlement to a quantified amount and do not dispute the petitioner’s performance, the admitted dues must be paid, subject to lawful deductions.

The Court relied on the respondents’ affidavit, particularly its admission that the petitioner had executed the work and that ₹4,48,523 had been approved for release.

Since the respondents did not dispute either completion of the work or the amount payable, the Court held that the petitioner’s entitlement was established and that continued non-payment could not be justified merely by reference to pending budgetary, financial-sanction or ceiling-proposal procedures.

Payment was directed to be made within three months from the date on which a certified copy of the order was served upon Respondent No. 1.

The writ petition was accordingly disposed of.