CUTTACK: Taking strong exception to the continued inaction of the director of medical education and training (DMET), Odisha, in providing no objection certificate (NOC) to a doctor in government service for pursuing a fellowship despite its orders, the Orissa High Court has warned of initiating contempt of court proceedings against him.
Dr Smruti Snigdha Sahoo, presently serving as senior resident in the department of radiology at SCB Medical College and Hospital, had applied for NOC to enable her to pursue a super specialisation fellowship programme. She was selected for the fellowship programme in Musculoskeletal Radiology of one-year duration at Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore.
The course was scheduled to start from April 1, 2025. However, the DMET kept the application pending without assigning any reason. She had then approached the high court.
On March 20, the single judge bench of Justice AK Mohapatra disposed of the petition with a direction to the DMET to consider Dr Sahoo’s case within 10 days. But Dr Sahoo returned to the high court with a petition for initiation of proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act against the DMET when the order was not complied.
Acting on it, Justice A K Mohapatra on Friday said, “In such view of the matter, Dr Santosh Kumar Mishra (DMET) is directed to implement the HC order issued on Dr Smruti Snigdha Sahoo’s petition on March 20, 2025 within a period of seven days, failing which he shall be asked to appear before this court and explain as to why proceedings shall not be initiated against him under the Contempt of Courts Act.” Justice Mohapatra has posted the matter for April 25.