HC drops contempt of court proceedings against IAS officer

Accepting the unconditional apology tendered by State School and Mass Education Secretary Ranjana Chopra, the Orissa High Court today dropped the contempt proceedings initiated against her over appointment of contractual teachers.
Despite a stay slapped by the High Court on the appointments in June this year, the state government went ahead in engaging about 3,800 contract teachers for which a contempt petition was filed against the Education Secretary. One Seemanchal Patra had filed the contempt petition.
However, following an affidavit stating disengagement of the teachers and tendering the unconditional apology for violating the court orders, a division bench of Justices Kumari Sanju Panda and D P Choudhury dropped the contempt proceedings against the senior IAS officer.

Meanwhile, the state government also on the day suo motu withdrew the miscellaneous petition it had filed last Friday seeking the High Court's permission for continuation of service of the disengaged teachers. The Joint Director of Higher Secondary Education had filed the misc case, which was vehemently opposed by the counsel of Patra.
But soon after the contempt petition was dropped, the state government withdrew the misc case without citing any reason thereof.