(1.) If at all and to what extent the government of the State of Bihar is vicariously liable for payment of arrears of salaries to the employees of the State owned corporations, public sector undertakings or the statutory bodies is the core question involved in this writ petition.
(2.) It appears from the records that various Government companies/public sector undertakings, details whereof are stated hereunder have not paid salaries to their workmen and other employees for a long time resulting in death of several persons and miseries brought to a large number of families as would appear from the following:
(3.) A newspaper report as regard nonpayment of salary for a long time resulting in starvation highlighted the case of one Chandan Bhattacharya, son of an employee of the Bihar State Agro Industries Development Corporation who tried to immolate himself. The incident was widely reported, inter alia, in The Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition, on 19 -9 -2002 under the caption "Empty coffers drive staff to self -immolation bids". The said Chandan Bhattacharya later on succumbed to the burn injuries suffered by him.