CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the chairperson and four members of Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) to reply to the show cause notices issued to them by the government.
On November 16, the special secretary Women and Child Development department issued the notices to OSCPCR chairperson Mandakinee Kar and four members - Jalina Priyadarshini, Anita Behera, Rubi Biswal and Sasmita Nanda - to show cause why they should not be removed from their posts on grounds of unsatisfactory performance with regard to disposal of cases and holding of camp courts. They had approached the court against the show cause issued to them.
When the petitions were taken up together for hearing on Monday, senior advocate Ashok Kumar Parija, representing the petitioners, submitted that the notices were issued without cogent grounds and details of charges. Besides, the special secretary had no jurisdiction to issue the show cause notice, Parija contended.
However, after advocate general (AG) Pitambar Acharya argued against it, Parija sought grant of permission to the petitioners to submit their replies to the show cause notices.
Acharya countered Parija saying they preferred to file the petitions instead of filing their replies to the notices. “Hence, the prayer made in the petitions is premature,” the AG stated.
Disposing of the petitions, Justice Panigrahi directed the petitioners to submit their replies by November 26. “In such event, the authority concerned shall consider the said reply of the petitioners and pass a reasoned order,” he added.