Orissa HC quashes Energy department order against former director of OPTCL
BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa High Court has quashed the Energy department order terminating former director (finance) of Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) Samir Kumar Swain from service just 17 months after his appointment.
Swain, who joined OPTCL’s Board of Directors as director (finance) on May 28, 2020, was served the termination order by the department on December 21, 2021, stating his continuance in the post was detrimental to the interest of the organisation.
He challenged the order in the high court on the ground that the reason cited for his termination was a stigma on his career. Though the high court had stayed the operation of the order on January 4, 2022, Swain was not allowed to continue in the post and asked to resign.
A single bench of Justice Biraja Prasanna Satpathy, on August 5, quashed the observation made in the Energy department order in the absence of any material evidence placed before the court either by the state government or OPTCL.
“This court is of the view that such an observation is in the nature of stigma on the career of the petitioner. Therefore, this court is inclined to quash the observation made in the December 21, 2021 order (of the Energy department),” the order stated.
Meanwhile, Swain is serving as director (finance) of Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation.