SIETEE closure: HC issues contempt notices to 2 govt officials

Orissa High Court has issued notices to two government officials asking them to show cause as to why contempt proceedings were not initiated against them for violating an earlier court order.
A division bench of Justices M M Das and A K Rath yesterday issued notices to State Institute of Educational Technology and Elementary Education (SIETEE) Director Sukadev Das and State School and Mass Education Secretary Usha Padhee calling upon them to show cause within four weeks.
This followed admitting a contempt petition filed by eleven employees of SIETEE in connection with its closure.
Earlier in May this year, the High Court as an interim order 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.
The petitioners alleged that the interim order of the court had not been adhered to.