SUNNY PRAKASH Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS writ petition has been registered as a Public Interest Litigation on the basis of a letter sent by Sunny Prakash, a student of 1st year B.Sc. in Daroga Prasad Rai Degree College, Siwan. He has raised grievance with regard to ongoing indefinite strike by the non -teaching staff of various Universities. An application (I.A. No. 4426 of 2008) has been made by the Bihar State University and College Employees Federation (for short, 'Federation') for intervention in the matter. In view of what has been stated in the application, we grant leave to the Federation to be impleaded as party respondent. The office shall make necessary correction in the cause title accordingly.

(2.) IN its application, the Federation has stated that in the month of July, 2007, non -teaching employees of the Universities and Colleges of Bihar went on strike for implementation of their diverse demands. On 18th July, 2007, an agreement was signed between the State Government and the Federation and the State Government agreed that its demands, details of which have been set out in the agreement, would be implemented within one and a half months. However, despite the said agreement, the State Government has yet not implemented the accepted demands. The Federation is said to have sent a communication on the 24th April, 2008 to the Principal Secretary, Human Resources Development Department, Government of Bihar, Patna for implementation of the agreement dated 18th July, 2007. They also put the Government to notice that if the demands were not implemented, the Federation and its members would go on indefinite strike with effect from 1st July, 2008. The Federation also seems to have written to the Minister, Human Resources Development Department, Government of Bihar, Patna for implementation of the agreement dated 18th July, 2007 but when nothing was done, they went on strike with effect from 1st July, 2008.

(3.) AN affidavit filed by the Registrar of Jai Prakash University, Chapra makes a painful reading; it states that because of the strike by the Federation, they could not conduct B.Sc. Part -I Examination, 2008. What a huge loss to the students?