Orissa high court's green note at Centre's indiscretions

CUTTACK: In an unprecedented move, the Orissa High Court, in a series of orders, has directed the Union of India to provide 2,000 trees for plantation in the

Cuttack Development Authority

(CDA) area while allowing restoration of a case that had been dismissed for non-appearance of the counsel as well as condoning of delay in filing miscellaneous applications against the

court

's order within the prescribed period.


Justice Biswanath Rath directed the Union of India to provide the plants to CDA within a period of one month. "Cuttack Development Authority is also directed to plant the plants to be provided by the Union of India in CDA area," Justice Rath specified in his orders.

Talking about the court's direction, CDA counsel Dayananda Mohapatra said on Saturday, "Generally in such circumstances, the court mostly imposes costs on the litigants. But the Orissa high court has in an unprecedented decision taken the green route."

Mohapatra said the CDA had in the past four days received copies of five such orders. Of them, three are related to direction to the Union of India, and the other two to individual litigants in which both have been directed to deposit Rs 5,000 each to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund in two weeks' time.