SUNIL AMBWANI, J. - (1.) THIS letter/petition addressed to a Hon'ble Judge of this Court was received on 21.12.2004, with a prayer to pass necessary orders for his compassionate appointment. The Hon'ble Judge to whom it is addressed passed the following order on the back of the first page of the letter. 'Registrar General Register the letter as a writ petition (Group 'A') (Single Judge) and place it before appropriate Court as a fresh case for appropriate orders.
(2.) IN compliance of the order, the matter was submitted before the Stamp Reporter, who has reported a deficiency of Rs. 100/ - and that has further made a note that the writ petition is not in proper form and is not supported by an affidavit, and that is how the Registrar General of the Court has placed the matter before me, as the appropriate Court. Sri K.R. Sirohi, the Special Counsel appearing on behalf of the High Court on administrative side, was requested to assist the Court. On the basis of the records produced by him, he submits that the authority to register a letter/petition as a writ petition, vests only with Hon'ble the Chief Justice or a Designated Judge nominated by the Hon'ble Chief Justice. A Puisne Judge does not have authority to direct any letter/petition received in his name to be registered as a writ petition and to be placed before the appropriate Court. Such an order is against the procedure established by the Court.
(3.) IN order to provide an appropriate procedure for entertaining letters/petitions addressed to the High Court, Chief Justice or individual Judge, the matter was placed in the Conference of Hon'ble the Chief Justices held on August 30, 31 and September 1, 1991. It was resolved in the conference at item No. 6 Streamlining Public Interest Litigation as follows : 'Resolved that Public Interest Litigation Cell be set up in each High Court, which shall scrutinise the letters/petitions seeking judicial redress. Letters/Petitions shall, thereafter, be registered after obtaining orders of the Chief Justice or a Judge nominated by him, and listed before the appropriate bench as directed by the Chief Justice. The guidelines dated December 1, 1988, followed by the Supreme Court for entertaining letters/petitions received as Public Interest Litigation be adopted by each High Court with suitable modifications, having regard to the local conditions.' ;