CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the state Home department to come up with a solution to the difficulty faced by people in entering the secretariat building to take part in proceedings arising out of their grievances.
The single Judge bench of Justice B R Sarangi issued the order recently on a petition filed by a woman who was not permitted to enter the secretariat in connection with an appeal pending before the special secretary Housing and Urban Development department.
Justice Sarangi wanted to ensure that people in general did not face the problem even it was undertaken by the department through the state counsel to allow the petitioner to participate in the hearing by issuing necessary pass in the secretariat.
Justice Sarangi said, “But that itself will not serve the purpose because in many of the cases it is noticed that the parties are not permitted to appear before the authorities to participate in the proceedings by issuing necessary pass, because the statutory authorities are functioning within the Secretariat building.”
“Furthermore, as it appears, adequate opportunities are not given to the parties to go inside the secretariat building to participate in the proceedings, which caused immense difficulties to the parties those who want to appear before the statutory authorities,” Justice Sarangi also said in his January 11 order, a copy of which was available on Saturday.
“Therefore, to carve out the issue and also to find out a solution, let an affidavit be filed by the additional secretary to government in Home department, as to how the persons whose cases are pending before the statutory authorities be allowed to enter inside the Secretariat building to conduct their cases,” Justice Sarangi ordered.
The case not being listed so far, he posted the matter to after one week for further consideration along with the affidavit.