Mritunjay Kumar and Others vs The State of Bihar and Others

Ajay Kumar Tripathi, J—If the submission of the counsel for the petitioners is accepted that they should be now also permitted to join the process of selection of Librarian in relation to an advertisement issued in the year 2008, it will amount to putting the clock back by seven years. One of the reasons why petitioners could not be appointed of which they are making grievance is that for one reason or the other, the State Government did not fill up the post and the vacancies for a long-long time. This resulted in most of the candidates becoming overage. Even at this belated stage they are looking for an opening in the life since there are vacancies.

Time has come when curtains have to be drawn and a settled decision ought not to be unsettled because there will be some citizens aggrieved with one decision or the other. This Court has to decide on the touchstone of reasonableness whether every such prayer is required to be entertained and relief granted.

None of these petitioners was applicant at the time of the advertisement. The explanation given is that they have been fighting for their right thereafter before various forums and now they want this Court to give a direction to waive the age limitation and allow them to apply for the post of Librarians.

The process initiated in the year 2008 must end now and the dispute is not required to be added thereto by giving any kind of relief to these petitioners. For the reasons indicated above, writ application is dismissed.