Orissa High Court unhappy over non-compliance of its order on teacher’s salary

Source:-https://www.newindianexpress.com

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has expressed displeasure over the State government’s failure to ensure full compliance with an order issued on July 6, 2018 and directed the Secretary and Director of Higher Education to appear in person again.

The order related to payment of full salary entitlement of a college teacher Basanta Kumar Sahoo. He is presently working as Reader in Physics at Banki College in Cuttack district. He is set to retire in February 2021.

The HC on October 21 had directed the two senior officers to appear before it in person on November 3. The direction for their personal appearance was issued on a contempt petition filed by Sahoo. On Tuesday, while Secretary Saswat Mishra cited official duty and did not appear before the Court, Director Ashwini Mishra appeared in person.

He informed that though there has been no full compliance with the order, a sum of Rs 20 lakh has been released in favour of Sahoo. Mishra gave an undertaking to do the complete exercise within three days and sought dispensing with personal appearance of both.

However, Sahoo’s counsel advocate Purusottam Chuli raised objections and doubts over the mode of calculation and full compliance with the July 6, 2018 order. Taking note of it, the single judge bench of Justice Biswanath Rath deferred the matter to November 16.