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Informative

Punjab & Haryana High Court on Time-Bound Decision of Representation for Paddy Allotment in Kharif Marketing Season 2025–26.

Update / Judgement Date

26 Oct 2025

Source

WCP News Bulletin

Author

Sakshi Bhardwaj — WCP Legal Desk

Reading Time

3 min read

Criminal Law
Punjab & Haryana High Court on Time-Bound Decision of Representation for Paddy Allotment in Kharif Marketing Season 2025–26.
WCP News Bulletin
Headnote:

The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Haryana State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (HAFED), Faridabad, to decide within ten days the pending representation of the petitioner—M/s Jai Shiv Rice Mills—regarding allotment of paddy for the Kharif Marketing Season 2025–2026.

The Court observed that when a petitioner seeks only a time-bound decision on a pending representation, the writ petition can be disposed of without delving into the merits of the underlying dispute.


Background:
  1. The petitioner, M/s Jai Shiv Rice Mills, a registered rice miller engaged in Custom Milling of Paddy, filed the present writ petition seeking directions to the respondent authorities—particularly HAFED and the State of Haryana—to decide its pending representation dated 21.10.2025 before the allotment of paddy for the Kharif Marketing Season 2025–2026.
  2. The petitioner submitted that in the previous marketing seasons, there had been delays and disputes over paddy allotment owing to alleged deviations in fortified rice specifications.
  3. It was stated that during the Kharif Marketing Season 2023–2024, similarly situated rice millers had challenged the respondent-department’s actions before the High Court, where such actions were held to be violative of Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution of India and consequently quashed by the Court’s judgment dated 15.09.2023.
  4. The petitioner’s earlier writ petition, CWP-22274-2023, had become infructuous after paddy allotment was made for that season. However, for subsequent sessions, the allotment process was delayed, resulting in the petitioner’s business being adversely affected.
  5. Despite applying in time for the 2025–26 season, no allotment had yet been made. The petitioner therefore sought a direction to decide its representation in a time-bound manner to avoid missing the entire marketing season.


Court’s Observations:
  1. The Court took note of the petitioner’s limited prayer—seeking only a direction for expeditious consideration of its representation—and observed that it was unnecessary to call for a detailed counter affidavit.
  2. The learned Deputy Advocate General, Dr. (Ms.) Malvika Singh, appeared for the State of Haryana and HAFED and accepted notice.
  3. The Court noted that the petitioner’s representation dated 17.10.2025 (Annexures P-7 and P-8) was pending and that the delay could cause the petitioner to lose the opportunity to participate in the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season 2025–26.
  4. Recognising that time is of the essence in such commercial allotment processes, the Court found it appropriate to direct the competent authority to decide the representation promptly, without entering into the merits of the petitioner’s claim.


Legal Provisions Discussed:
  1. Article 226, Constitution of India – Power of High Courts to issue writs.
  2. Article 14, Constitution of India – Right to equality before the law.
  3. Article 19(1)(g), Constitution of India – Freedom to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.


Outcome
  1. Writ Petition (CWP-31643-2025) disposed of.
  2. Respondents directed to decide petitioner’s representation dated 17.10.2025 within ten days.
  3. No opinion expressed on the merits of the petitioner’s claim.

Case: M/s Jai Shiv Rice Mills v. State of Haryana & Ors.

Court: High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh

Coram: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj

Case No.: CWP-31643-2025