Reasoned administrative orders and fair hearing required before rejecting benefit claims; Madras HC remanded for fresh consideration.

An administrative rejection of a claim for Served from India Scheme benefits must be supported by reasons and, where required, preceded by a fair opportunity of hearing. The Court noted that the impugned orders gave only brief grounds and were challenged as having been passed without proper reasons and without a prior hearing. Since the respondents did not oppose reconsideration, the rejection orders were set aside and the matter was remitted to the competent authority for fresh consideration of the applications for 2013-14 and 2014-15 after hearing the petitioner and passing a reasoned order.

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Issues: Whether the rejection of the petitioner's claims under the Served from India Scheme by a cryptic order, without giving proper reasons and without affording an opportunity of hearing, was liable to be set aside and the matter remitted for fresh consideration.

Analysis: The impugned orders rejected the applications by assigning only brief grounds, and the petitioner complained that the decision was passed without proper reasons and without a prior hearing. The respondents did not oppose a direction for reconsideration. In these circumstances, the proper course was to set aside the rejection orders and direct the competent authority to reconsider the applications afresh, after affording an opportunity of hearing and passing a reasoned order.

Conclusion: The rejection orders were set aside and the matter was remitted to the first respondent for fresh consideration of the applications for the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 after giving an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner.

Ratio Decidendi: An administrative rejection affecting a claim for statutory or policy benefits must be supported by reasons and preceded by a fair opportunity of hearing where such hearing is required.

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