CUTTACK: THE Orissa High Court (HC) on Tuesday dropped the contempt proceedings initiated against Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Prem Chandra Choudhury following submission of compliance report of a Court order issued over two years back.
On January 21, 2019, the HC had directed for settlement in favour of Ghana Shyam Pattnaik (an ex-employee of BMC) a tenement (a quarter for slum dwellers) which was allotted to him on rent during his service period. Ghana had moved the HC when he was asked to vacate the quarter after his retirement. Later when his pension was withheld for not vacating the quarter, he moved HC again.
Acting on it on November 6, 2020, the HC issued an interim order restraining the BMC from taking any coercive action against him. Despite it, BMC issued an order to Ghana for vacating the quarter within 15 days on January 29, 2021. The contempt proceeding was initiated following it and both the Deputy Commissioner (who issued the order) and Commissioner were directed to be present in HC on March 31.
As only Deputy Commissioner G Samantaray appeared in person, Commissioner Prem Chandra Choudhury was made to appear with the help of police on that day.
The HC was informed that all orders had been withdrawn. The Commissioner was directed to appear in person again on April 6 as the January 21, 2019 had not been complied by then. On appearing before the HC on Tuesday, the Commissioner informed that the order has been complied and prayed for dropping the contempt proceeding while tendering unconditional apology. Taking note of it, Justice Biswanath Rath dropped the contempt proceedings.