SUNDER ENTERPRISE Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) All these four mandamus-appeals were heard together as the points involved herein are almost the same.

(2.) The unsuccessful writ-petitioners are the appellants before us. In the month of June, 2005, the appellants herein filed four separate writ- applications thereby challenging four different orders, all passed by Divisional Forest Officer, Kharagpur Social Forestry Division, and the authorized officer of the District of Midnapur, sometime in the month of May 2003, thereby dismissing the applications filed by the four writ- petitioners for. the issue of licence for running of sawmills in terms of West Bengal Forest (Establishment of Industries) Rules, 1982.

(3.) In all the jour matters, the learned Single Judge refused to entertain the writ-application on the ground of delay in approaching the High Court, inasmuch as, the order sought to be impugned was passed in the month of May 2003 whereas the writ-applications were filed in the month of June 2005, long after the expiry of two years and there was no explanation of delay in filing the application.