CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Friday was unable to carry forward proceedings on a PIL filed eight months back seeking tabling of Justice Raghubir Das Commission report in the state Assembly as the government once again failed to give an update on the status of the judicial probe report.
The commission was constituted on June 6, 2018, two months after the keys were found to be missing during a bid to inspect the Ratna Bhandar. Justice Dash submitted the inquiry report to the state government on November 29, 2018. The government reportedly spent `22.27 lakh on judicial inquiry on the PIL filed by Dilip Baral of Puri on April 19 this year.
When the petition was taken up on Friday, additional government advocate Debakanta Mohanty pleaded for more time as last opportunity to file the state’s affidavit. He expressed his regret for seeking an adjournment of the proceedings. Petitioner counsel Anup Mohapatra opposed this plea pointing out that proceedings in the PIL had virtually made no progress in the last eight months as the government had not complied with the court’s order.
The court issued notice to the government and sought the current status of the report submitted by the commission on April 25. Then on July 10, the government sought two more months’ time to submit the report. Later on, December 1, the government again sought more time and was granted a week, the petitioner counsel said raising objection against grant of more time. However, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi and Justice MS Raman directed for listing of the case after winter vacation, allowing the state last opportunity to submit an update on the commission report by then.
As per the petitioner section 3 (4) of the Act prescribes tabling of the report of a commission constituted under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 in the state Assembly within six months of submission of the report to the government together with a memorandum of action taken thereon.