A contempt petition has been filed in the Odisha High Court against the State Government in which the petitioners have sought initiation of contempt of court cases against the General Administration (GA) Department Secretary for failing to honour an earlier direction of the High Court pertaining to use of Odia as the official language of the State Government.
Petitioners Manoranjan Mohanty of Cuttack and Subrat Prusty of Jajpur have approached the High Court alleging that the Government is highly “indifferent” towards using Odia as the official language. Moreover, the Government is also adamant in this regard even as there was a High Court order to this effect.
The petitioners last year had approached the HC through a PIl urging it to direct the Government to take measures so that Odia is used as the official language.
The High Court, however, disposing of the PIl in November 2012, had suggested that the petitioners first make a representation before the competent authority of the Government. In the same order, the HC had categorically stated that if such a representation is made by the petitioners, the GA Secretary shall consider and dispose of the representation within a period of eight weeks.
“If a decision is not taken (by the Government) on the representations within the stipulated period then the petitioners have the liberty to approach this court after eight weeks,” the HC had stated in its order passed on November 30, 2012.
After getting a certified copy of the HC order, the petitioners on January 8, 2013 approached the GA Department making a representation to its Secretary on the subject and annexed a certified copy of the HC order.
“But after more than 14 weeks of making such a representation to the Government, there has been no response yet from the respondent for which the petitioners have again approached the honourable High Court by filing a contempt of court petition on April 15,” said the petitioners’ counsel Khirod Rout on Tuesday.