HC relief to two senior IAS officers

Odisha State Industries Secretary Parag Gupta and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise department secretary N K Sundray appeared before the division bench of Justices B P Das and B K Nayak yesterday as directed. But since the matter could not be taken up on the day due to certain reasons, the court exempted the two from further appearance before it on the matter.

The case pertains to the closure of State Leather Corporation, which was wound up in 2006 after relocating its permanent employees suitably elsewhere.

However, one disgruntled former Statistical Inspector of the Corporation, Durga Charan Mohanty, was not satisfied at his relocated place and the new designation.

Mohanty had approached the High Court, which had asked the state government to redress his grievances and relocate him in accordance to his qualification and the earlier post he was maintaining.

But when the court's order was not complied with, Mohanty filed a contempt of court case against the officials concerned of the departments.

Admitting the petition, the HC had issued notices asking the two senior IAS officers to appear personally in the court and explain as to why contempt charges would not be framed against them.