The Odisha High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the concerned Government officials asking them to show cause as to why proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act would not be initiated against them for violation of an earlier court order.
Adjudicating over a contempt petition filed against two senior Government officials associated with the closure of the State Institute of Educational Technology and Elementary Education (SIETEE), the HC issued the notices asking the officials to reply within four weeks.
Justices MM Das and AK Rath, constituting a Division Bench, admitted the petition filed by as many as 11 employees of the SIETEE and issued the show-cause notices to SIETEE director Sukadev Das and School and Mass Education Secretary Usha Padhee. It may be mentioned that in May this year, the High Court as an interim measure had restrained the State Government from closing the institute, which was set up under the School and Mass Education Department to prepare educational technology programme. In the same order, the HC had also restrained the Government from taking any step in disengaging the present employees from services without the leave of the court and their salary should be paid regularly during the pendency of the case in the court.
However, alleging that the interim order of the court had not been adhered to till date, the employees approached the court again seeking contempt of court charges against the authorities.