Patna High Court
Pramod ManjhiversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- RAJIV ROY
Holding
The court disposed of the writ petition, directing the petitioners to approach the District Magistrate for relief and not issuing a mandamus.
Summary
A group of landholders from Dularpur claim ownership of 34 acres allotted on 26‑02‑1970 under the Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act and allege that the State is constructing a Jalashay on their land without following the statutory acquisition process. They filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the respondents to restrain the construction, protect their title, and provide compensation. The State, represented by various revenue and irrigation officials, was served and appeared before the court. After hearing arguments, the court noted that the petitioners could approach the District Magistrate with their documents and that the State counsel raised no objection. Accordingly, the court disposed of the writ petition, directing the petitioners to seek relief from the appropriate authority, without granting the requested mandamus or compensation.
Issues considered
- Whether the authorities are duty‑bound under section 14A of the Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954 to restrain the construction of a Jalashay on the petitioners' land.
- Whether the petitioners are entitled to compensation for the alleged unauthorized acquisition of their land.
- Whether the court should issue a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to protect the petitioners' title and possession.
Subjects
- Bhoodan Yagna Act
- section 14A
- land acquisition
- mandamus
- writ petition
- compensation
- minor irrigation
- Jal Jeevan Hariyali
- property rights
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.3950 of 2026
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1. Pramod Manjhi S/o Nage Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
2. Sitaram Manjhi, S/o Ramdeo Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
3. Sudamiya Devi, W/o Vishundeo Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
4. Susma Devi, W/o Puran Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
5. Gorelal Manjhi, S/o Karu Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
6. Ravindra Mandal, S/o Bhagbat Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
7. Manju Devi, W/o Rohan Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
8. Pramod Manjhi, S/o Bhroshi Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
9. Pavo Devi, W/o Giridhari Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
10. Rupesh Kumar, S/o Narayan Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
11. Mukesh Kumar, S/o Dharamraj Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
12. Sanjay Mandal, S/o Dharamraj Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
13. Ashok Manjhi, S/o Tilo Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
14. Gaivi Manjhi, S/o Mishri Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
15. Shreelal Mandal, S/o Asharafi Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
16. Bindeshwari Mandal, S/o Govind Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur,
P.S.- Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
17. Parmananda Mandal, S/o Visheshwar Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur,
P.S.- Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
18. Maya Devi, W/o Randheer Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
19. Ravindra Mandal, S/o Kasho Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
20. Ramsakhi Devi, W/o Nepali Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
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21. Pramila Devi, W/o Bramhadev Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
22. Runa Devi, W/o Arun Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
23. Savita Devi, W/o Vinay Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
24. Buddhdev Manjhi, S/o Sarayug Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
25. Panma Devi, W/o Arun Singh Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
26. Suresh Mandal, S/o Gogi Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
27. Sabo Devi, W/o Kailash Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
28. Susma Devi, W/o Puran Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
29. Kamleshwari Mandal, S/o Govind Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur,
P.S.- Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
30. Umesh Mandal, S/o Rohin Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
31. Shatrughan Manjhi, S/o Khusru Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
32. Medani Mandal, S/o Haricharan Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
33. Ranjan Mandal, S/o Suresh Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
34. Jantariya Devi, W/o Gaivi Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
35. Dinkar Mandal, S/o Raju Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
36. Laxmi Devi, W/o Vishwambhar Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
37. Pappu Mandal, S/o Baikunth Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
38. Anil Mandal, S/o Satyanarayan Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
39. Deepak Kumar, S/o Anil Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
40. Bhushan Mandal, S/o Banwari Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
41. Sanjay Mandal, S/o Dharmraj Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
42. Jago Devi, W/o Sindhu Mandal Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
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Kharagpur, District- Munger.
43. Dashrath Manjhi, S/o Bateshwar Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
44. Pramila Devi, W/o Brahamdev Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.-
Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger.
45. Amir Manjhi, S/o Pairu Manjhi Resident of Village- Dularpur, P.S.- Haveli
Kharagpur, District- Munger.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1. The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Department of Revenue
and Land Reforms, Government of Bihar.
2. The Principal Secretary, Department of Revenue and Land Reforms,
Government of Bihar.
3. The Principal Secretary, Department of Minor Irrigation, Government of
Bihar.
4. The District Magistrate, Munger.
5. The Sub Divisional Officer, Haveli Kharagpur, Munger.
6. The Circle Officer, Haveli Kharagpur, Munger.
7. The Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Division, Munger.
... ... Respondent/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Anuj Dilbar Krishna, Advocate
For the Respondent/s : Mr. Standing Counsel (18)
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJIV ROY
ORAL ORDER
2 31-03-2026 Heard the parties.
2. The present petition has been preferred for the
following relief(s):
“(I) For issuance of an appropriate writ
in the nature of writ of mandamus for direction
upon the respondent authorities to perform their
duty vested in them by section 14A of the Bihar
Bhudan yagna Act 1954 to restrain the
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construction of Jalashay under Jal Jeevan Hariyali
under Minor Irrigation Division, Munger on the
respective lands of the petitioners who have hold
title and possession over the land more than five
decade without issuance of any notice or without
adopting the mandatory process of the acquisition
of the land of the petitioners situated at Mauza
Khaschak, Revenue Thana + P.S. + Sub Registry
Office- Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger,
appertaining to thana No. 170, Khata No. 46, Plot
No. 101, total area 34 acres of land.
(II) For further order of restraining
against the respondent authorities from interfering
into the peaceful possession of the petitioners over
their respective land of the petitioners as the
petitioners are holding the title and possession
over the land since the date of allotment of
respective land to the petitioners or their ancestors
on 26.02.1970 by the Bhoodan Yagna Committee
and the same was given the 'Pranam Patra' under
the provision of Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954.
(III) For further direction to the
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respondent authorities to perform their statutory
duties vested in them under section 14A of the
Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act 1954 in protecting the
title and possession of the petitioners over their
respective land which was being constructed the
Jalashay over the land in question.
(IV) For further direction upon the
respondent authorities for providing the
compensation to the petitioners as the respondent
authorities are digging the wheat cultivated land
and constructing the Jalashay under the Scheme of
Jal Jeevan Hariyali without adopting the
mandatory process of the acquisition of the
respective land of the petitioners.
(V) For any other relief/reliefs for which
the petitioner is entitled for.”
3. After some arguments, learned counsel for the
petitioners submit that they shall be approaching the respondent
no. 4, the District Magistrate, Munger alongwith all the
supporting documents to present his case.
4. Learned State counsel has no objection to it.
5. In that background, allowing the petitioners to
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approach the concerned authority who shall be taking up and
disposing of the matter, at an earliest, the writ petition stands
disposed of.
(Rajiv Roy, J)
Adnan/-
U
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