Allahabad High Court

NARENDRA SINGHversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 7 OTHERS

Decided: 8 September 2026
Bench: SAURABH SHYAM SHAMSHERY

Holding

The court ordered that any inquiry initiated under the MGNREGA Act must be concluded expeditiously, and if already concluded, its findings may be taken note of.

Summary

The petitioner, a complainant under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, filed a writ petition seeking expeditious completion of an inquiry that had been ordered but remained pending. The petition cited a letter dated 31‑12‑2025 from the Chief Development Officer, Aligarh, indicating that an Inquiry Officer had been appointed but the inquiry was not concluded. The petitioner argued that the delay violated the statutory mandate for timely investigation under the MGNREGA Act. The court, without issuing notice to the respondents, disposed of the petition, directing that any pending inquiry be concluded promptly and that any already concluded inquiry be taken note of. No substantive hearing on the merits was conducted, and the order was limited to procedural direction to expedite the inquiry.

Issues considered

Whether the High Court can direct the expeditious conclusion of an MGNREGA Act inquiry without issuing notice to the respondents.
Whether the writ petition is maintainable in the absence of notice to the contesting respondents.

Legislation cited

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

Subjects

MGNREGA
writ petition
administrative inquiry
expeditious investigation
public welfare
procedural direction

Judgment

                                               HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
                                                            WRIT - C No. - 35715 of 2026

                                    Narendra Singh
                                                                                                .....Petitioner(s)
                                                                       Versus

                                    State Of U.P. And 7 Others
                                                                                              .....Respondent(s)

                                    Counsel for Petitioner(s)             :     Satish Mohan Tiwari
                                    Counsel for Respondent(s)             :     C.S.C., Krishna Kant Singh

                                    Court No. - 36
                                                HON'BLE SAURABH SHYAM SHAMSHERY, J.

                                    1. Heard Sri Satish Mohan Tiwari, learned counsel for petitioner, Sri

                                    Prabhakar Tripathi, learned Standing Counsel for State-Respondents and

                                    Sri K.K. Singh, Advocate for Respondent-8.

                                    2. Petitioner, a complainant, has filed a complaint under the provisions of

                                    MGNREGA Act, 2005, which has been taken cognizance and a reference

                                    is made to a letter dated 31.12.2025 of Chief Development Officer,

                                    Aligarh, however, till date inquiry is not concluded despite an Inquiry

                                    Officer was appointed, therefore, this writ petition is filed to expedite the

                                    inquiry.


                                    3. In aforesaid circumstances, without issuing notice to contesting-

                                    respondent, this writ petition is disposed of that in case inquiry is already

                                    initiated, the same be concluded expeditiously. If any inquiry on same

                                    issue is already concluded, the same may also be taken note of.



                                                                                (Saurabh Shyam Shamshery,J.)
                                    September 9, 2026
                                    AK




Digitally signed by :-
AWADESH KUMAR
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

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