New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed a contempt petition filed against the Higher Education Department of Odisha government while granting liberty to the petitioner to approach State Educational Tribunal in connection with the issue of grant-in aid.
A two-judge bench of the SC comprising Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta asked the petitioner, Krishna Chandra Mahapatra, to approach state educational tribunal and said that it would pass the appropriate order in the matter.
“We are not inclined to entertain this petition for contempt. The contempt petition is accordingly dismissed. However, the petitioner may approach the appropriate forum,” the bench observed.
The petitioner had filed a contempt petition against state Higher Education Department Secretary cum-Commissioner, Higher Education Director and others in the apex court seeking action for not implementing the orders passed by the top court.
The petitioner had pleaded that he held the post of a lecturer at the RS College in Odagaon in Nayagarh district. He further pleaded that he was eligible for grant of full quantum of grant-in-aid with effect from October 1998. However, by an erroneous interpretation of the order of apex court dated April 28, 2017, the Higher Education Department calculated the arrears of grant-in-aid to be paid to the petitioner from the date of the judgment of the Supreme Court which is April 28, 2017.