Avoiding personal appearances of the Higher Education Department Secretary and Director in the Orissa High Court in a contempt of court case, the State Government has granted UGC scale of payment to a local college teacher and paid arrear that was due to him for last 13 years.
This came to light on Wednesday when the High Court was informed that the Government has accorded UGC scale to Dr Gadadhar Rout, an Economics teacher of the Christ College here.
The Government has also deposited an amount of Rs16,40,960 in the college account towards the outstanding arrear of Dr Rout.
The Government action came following an order passed last month by the High Court in which Justice Dr BR Sarangi had said that if the earlier orders of the HC in this matter were not complied within two weeks, the two Government officers shall appear in person before the court and show cause as to why contempt of court proceedings shall not be initiated against them.
Joining as a college teacher in 1997, Dr Rout was eligible to get UGC scale of pay from 2003. But the Government constantly ignored his pleas, following which he approached the High Court in 2011. In January last year, the HC allowed his plea and, accordingly, asked the Government to take appropriate measures, informed his counsel PK Nanda.
But when the Government failed to comply with the HC order, Dr Rout preferred a contempt of court petition and obtained a favourable order in July 2015 in which the Government was told to make the payments within two months. Even when that did not materialise, Dr Rout filed the second contempt of court petition in October last year.