The Orissa High Court has threatened to hold up the December salaries of the State Finance Secretary and the State Law Secretary if an order passed by the court on December 12, 2019 is not complied with by December 21 this year.
Expressing anguish and unhappiness, a Division Bench comprising Justices Kumari Sanju Panda and SK Panigrahi has acted tough while adjudicating a contempt petition filed by 81-year-old Mithuram Bhoi, a former employee of the Hirakud Dam project.
The court last year had disposed of Bhoi’s petition and directed the State Government to regularise his pension and other retirement benefits.
Bhoi, who retired in1998, had approached the High Court two years later when he was deprived of the benefits.
ollowing last year’s order, the Government, almost after a year, informed the court on December 7, 2020 in a show-cause affidavit that the matter required to be examined and concurred by the Law and Finance Departments before obtaining the approval.
“In view of the above, we direct that if the order dated 12.12.2019 is not complied with by the next date, the salary for the month of December, 2020 of the Law secretary as well as Finance secretary will be held up,” the HC said, fixing December 23 for next hearing of the case.