Advocate General Binod Poddar on Wednesday caused quite a flutter in the courtroom, embarrassing the State Government no end after he stated that the officials did not take his directions seriously.

Expressing helplessness before the Jharkhand High Court, the Advocate General also asserted that despite repeated requests made by his office, officials did not turn up before him.

 The Advocate General of a State is a Constitutional post and authority duly appointed as per Article 165 of the Constitution. He happens to be the principal legal Advisor to the Government.

 The matter was raised during hearing of a PIl filed by Jharkhand Human Rights Conference related to the disposal of bio-medical wastes where the state government was supposed to file a counter affidavit but did not do so in time leading the case to be adjourned for the next week.

 Earlier, during the hearing, Chief Justice Virender Singh said that the affidavit must be submitted at least 48 hours before the hearing so that the concerned Judge can have a look at it before going to the court. The Chief Justice also questioned the Advocate General whether he had written any strict letter to the officials in this regard.

 "I have written several times to the officials, but they never take our directions seriously," said the Advocate General. Taking a strong note of AG's reply, the Chief Justice asked him to tell the names of the officials who were not taking him seriously and let them feel the heat. 

 "You just tell me the names of the officials who are not turning up on your directions; ask them whether they want to come here or go somewhere else," said the Chief Justice. "Whether they want to remain in their jobs or not," said the Chief Justice.

 The Chief Justice further added that he can make them present before the court within hours from any part of the State. He, however, gave liberty to the Member Secretary of Pollution Control Board not to be present before the Court in the next date. The Member Secretary earlier had been asked to be present physically before the court on Wednesday. 

 The PIl filed by Jharkhand Human Rights Conference noted that hospitals in Ranchi were discharging biomedical waste without observing norms. The federation also demanded proper management of bio-medical waste coming out from the State run government and private hospitals in Ranchi.

 According to the PIl, hospitals, both private and public, nursing homes, clinics and dispensaries were perennial offenders throwing bio-medical waste on to roads, drains and in water bodies.

 Notably, as many as 22 incinerators in Jharkhand are used for treating around 5,000 kg of bio-medical wastes generated per day from more than 700 medical facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes with a combined capacity of 16,866 beds.