CUTTACK:The Orissa High Court in an interim order on Friday has directed State Government to maintain status quo on shifting of two offices - Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Directorate of Fisheries from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar.
A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Dr BR Sarangi passed the order while hearing a PIL filed by Cuttack Surakhya Manch represented by its president, advocate Barada Prasanna Patnaik.
As per reports, after shifting some important sections of Government Printing Press, Special Branch and Armoury Police offices, the State Government has also planned to shift offices of Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Directorate of Fisheries from Cuttack to the Capital.
However, challenging the decision, Patnaik on behalf of the organisation had filed a PIL on October 30. Citing that Cuttack is the oldest capital of the State and the Government is conspiring to lessen its importance by shifting important government offices and establishments, Patnaik had sought the intervention of the court.
While the case was being heard by the court, Advocate General had taken two weeks to file counter on behalf of the Government.Allowing the time, the court then passed an interim order to maintain status quo on shifting of the two offices with a direction for conduct of next hearing on the case after two weeks.