CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday ordered for personal appearance of the Secretary of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) department after the State Government failed to comply with its order issued on January 22.The Court had sought a status report from the Government on the posts of president, members and other supporting staff that are lying vacant in the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC) and Consumer Dispute Redressal Forums (CDRFs) in all the districts. The Court also directed the Government to specify by January 29 the time by which the posts lying vacant would be filled up.
But when the case came up on Wednesday, the State counsel submitted the instructions from the Government which admitted that posts were lying vacant in 18 districts, but failed to give any details.
The Court was hearing a contempt case filed by Orissa Consumer Association (OCA) on the Government’s failure to comply with the orders issued 20 years ago.
OCA counsel Dillip Mohapatra said the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanju Panda and Justice SK Sahoo directed for personal appearance of the FS&CW Secretary on February 12, the date fixed for next hearing on the case.
Without giving details on vacant posts, FS&CW Secretary Vir Vikram Yadav had earlier filed affidavits claiming that the proposal related to filling up the posts was pending with the Finance department for concurrence.In the affidavits, Yadav had sought unconditional apology and urged the Court to drop the contempt proceedings claiming that there was no willful or deliberate violation or disobedience of the HC order.