CUTTACK: Orissa High Court on Thursday posted the PIL on vacancies in Odisha State Food Commission (OSFC) to September 14, expecting that the posts of all five members will be filled up by then. Prabir Kumar Das, a high court lawyer had filed the PIL pointing out the posts of three of five members are vacant since the inception of the OSFC on March 15, 2016. While the post of chairperson has been vacant since April 11, two posts of members have been vacant since September 13, 2020 and September 12, 2022 respectively.
On April 25 this year, the high court had issued notice seeking reply from state government. The petition was taken up for hearing on Thursday. Parrying the court’s query, state counsel DK Mohanty said the post of chairman was filled up on May 11 this year with the appointment of Abani Kanta Nayak. The state counsel sought 10 more days as last opportunity to ensure completion of the appointment process by then. The division bench of Chief Justice Subhasis Talapatra and Justice Savitri Ratho fixed September 14 as the next date for further consideration of the matter, while fixing it as deadline for filling up all the vacant posts of members.
The petition contended that immediate filling up of the posts in OSFC is warranted to enable it to discharge its functions and render public service in accordance with the National Food Security Act. Non-appointment of members disables the commission to conduct its business as Rule 8 of the OSFC Rules prescribes that three members including the chairperson are required to be present to form the quorum (at every meeting once in a month) of the commission.