CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has disposed of two petitions that had challenged the Union Labour Ministry's order permitting closure of the Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS), a unit of NTPC, in Angul district. The court, however, extended till October 25 the stay order on the operation of the closure order issued on August 12.
The Joint Secretary of the Ministry had passed the order on July 12 accepting the application of TTPS seeking permission to close the undertaking with effect from August 20. NTPC Men's Congress president Rama Chandra Khuntia and NTPC Workers Union president Bishnu Mohan Rath had filed two separate petitions.
On July 19, Khuntia had also appealed to the Centre for review of the closure order.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray said, "The court considers it appropriate to allow the petitioners to first exhaust the aforementioned statutory remedy and reserve their right to seek further remedies if they do not succeed in such review petition, which is already pending with Government of India."
"The petitioners are permitted to file additional grounds/ submissions before the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment to assail the closure order in addition to those raised in the July 19 letter on or before September 10, 2021. After giving a hearing to all the parties communicated to them at least three days in advance, the Secretary will dispose of the review petition by passing a speaking order, not later than October 18," the bench specified.