HC comes down heavily on state departments, civic agencies for failing timelines

Cuttack: Orissa high court on Thursday came down heavily on state departments and civic agencies for repeatedly failing to comply with timelines fixed in an ongoing PIL concerning civic issues in Cuttack, warning defaulting officials of personal appearance before the court.A special bench of Justice K R Mohapatra and Justice V Narasingh expressed “displeasure” over the manner in which compliance affidavits were being filed by government departments, Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Cuttack Development Authority (CDA).The bench observed that despite earlier directions fixing deadlines, responses were routinely being submitted only on the date of hearing, leaving little scope for scrutiny by stakeholders, including the Advocates’ Committee assisting the court.“Consequently, matters are getting adjourned resulting in waste of precious time of this court,” the judges noted in the May 7 order.In a sharp remark, the bench invoked poet T.S. Eliot to underline what it described as official apathy. “It is with dismay this court borrows from Eliot that between the order and compliance ‘falls the shadow’ of incorrigible apathy,” the order stated, referring to Eliot’s The Hollow Men.The court directed that if affidavits or instructions are not filed within the stipulated timelines in future, the officials concerned must remain physically present in court along with the required records “to assist in the dispensation of justice”.The registry was asked to communicate the order to the Chief Secretary, besides the commissioner of CMC and the vice-chairman of CDA.The ongoing PIL, dealing with multiple civic concerns affecting Cuttack city, is being heard by a designated special bench with assistance from an Advocates’ Committee, led by the president and secretary of the High Court Bar Association.According to the prevailing practice, the committee assists the bench in highlighting issues affecting residents and ensuring concerns of common citizens are adequately represented during proceedings.On April 7, the special bench had clarified that the arrangement was adopted to facilitate smooth conduct of proceedings and to address the multiple civic issues confronting Cuttack city in a coordinated manner. The court had also stressed the need for proactive cooperation from state authorities, counsel representing the Union and state governments, the municipal corporation and other state-run agencies in resolving the matters raised in the PIL.