The Orissa High Court has directed the State Government to stop the salary of the Collector, the Land Acquisition Officer and the Chief Development Officer-cum-Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad of Angul for failure of paying compensation to a land oustee.

Adjudging a case of Pramod Kumar Pradhan Vs Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, and others, Dr Justice BR Sarangi and Justice BP Satapathy took up the matter through hybrid mode and passed the significant order dated 06.01.2023.

The court, considering the misery of the petitioners, whose lands had been acquired in the year 1961 and till date compensation has not been paid, took a serious view of the issue and called upon the Collector to appear in person before it on 16.01.2023 and file show-cause as to why contempt proceedings shall not be initiated against him for nonpayment of the compensation.

In compliance of the order, Chief Development Officer-cum-Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad Lalit Mohan Behera appeared in person and contended that the Collector was suffering from illness and therefore he could not appear. He being the Collector-in-Charge filed an affidavit taking a different stand.

But the court was not convinced with such a stand taken by him. In any case, since the compensation has not been paid to the petitioners even though the writ petition was filed in the year 2013 and in the meantime 10 years have passed and that the lands were acquired in 1961 and in the meantime more than 60 years have passed, the court directed that till payment of compensation is made by the Government, the salary of the Collector and the two other officials shall not be released. If any application is filed that the petitioners have been paid their compensation, then release of salary of the concerned officers shall be considered by the court.

The serious view of the High Court exposed the callousness of the administration towards the misery of the land oustees, whose lands have been acquired for various purposes in Angul district.