The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has expressed its displeasure over changing the panel of advocates without making alternative arrangements and has also summoned Pratap Singh Baghel, Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Prayagraj.
A Single Bench of Justice Abdul Moin passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Ram Saharey Mishra.
Praveen Kumar Tripathi informed the High Court that the order dated 05.07.2023 the entire panel pertaining to representing Basic Education has changed and all the previous counsels have been de-paneled meaning thereby they would not appear in pending matters.
The Court noted that,
Since morning the Court has been noticing that none of the counsels for the BSA are appearing, perhaps considering the aforesaid order which has been passed by the Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Prayagraj.
Apart from various cases which have already been adjourned by the Court, in the case the matter pertains to legal heirs of the deceased employees who have approached this Court way back in the year 2018 praying for payment of the retiral dues.
Even if the panel has been changed it was expected that the Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Prayagraj would have made adequate arrangements for representing cases judiciously at least before the highest court of the State i.e the Court.
“However, it appears that while issuing the aforesaid order dated 05.07.2023 and while changing the panel the Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Prayagraj has not considered this aspect of the matter that no help is being extended to the Court and cases are being adjourned unnecessarily whereby wasting precious time of the Court apart from causing difficulty for the litigants. Thus, it appears that the Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Prayagraj has proceeded in a very casual, cavalier and lackadaisical manner showing least respect for time of the Court and for litigants before the Court”, the Court observed.
In this view of the matter the Court has summoned the Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Prayagraj in person along with records on 25.07.2023 at 10:15 AM and to ensure that all the cases which are listed on 25.07.2023 in which the Basic Shiksha Adhikari of the appropriate district is a party, the Secretary, Board of Basic Education, Prayagraj shall have the records so as to assist the Court on that day.
The Court has fixed the next hearing of the petition on July 25, 2023.