State Of Odisha v. Annada Acharya

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK

W.P (C) No. 15606 of 2021 State of Odisha and others .....

Petitioners Mr. B.P. Tripathy, AGA Vs.

Annada Acharya and others .....

Opposite Parties Mr. K.C. Sahu, Advocate (O.P.1)

CORAM:

DR. JUSTICE B.R. SARANGI MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR MISHRA

ORDER

24.06.2022 03.

This matter is taken up through hybrid mode.

Order No.

2.

Heard Mr. B.P. Tripathy, learned Additional Government Advocate and Mr. K.C. Sahu, learned counsel for the Opposite Party No.1.

3.

The State-Petitioner has filed this Writ Petition, assailing the order dated 28.02.2019 passed by Odisha Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, Bhubaneswar in O.A. No. 1201 of 2015, by which the Tribunal, while quashing the order cancelling the GPF account number granted in favour of the Opposite Party No.1, directed that Opposite Party No.1 shall be governed under OCS (Pension) Rules, 1992 and GPF (O) Rules, 1938 and shall be allowed the benefits to contribute GPF in her GPF account number already assigned to her.

4.

Mr. B.P. Tripathy, learned Additional Government Advocate, contended that the matter should be heard extensively and decided on its own merit.

5.

Mr. K.C. Sahu, learned counsel for the Opposite Party No.1,

on the other hand, contended that a similar matter had come up for consideration before this Court at the instance of the State in W.P.(C) No. 22057 of 2019, which was dismissed on 15.07.2021 on the ground of delay and laches, as the same was filed with delay of two and half years. Therefore, the present Writ Petition, having been filed with a delay of two years, in view of the ratio decided by this Court in the case of State of Odisha & Ors. vrs. Sanjulata Sethy & Ors, is liable to be dismissed. It is also contended that the against the order passed in Sanjulata Sethy (supra), the State has preferred Special Leave to Appeal No. 3465 of 2021, which was dismissed vide order dated 11.03.2022. 6.

Having heard learned counsel for the parties and after going through the records, this Court finds that this Writ Petition has been preferred by the State after expiry of two years. Therefore, the ratio decided by this Court in the case of State of Odisha & Ors. vrs. Sanjulata Sethy & Ors is squarely applicable to the present case.

7.

Accordingly, this Writ Petition stands dismissed in terms of the order dated 15.07.2021 passed in W.P.(C) No. 22057 of 2019. Resultantly, Opposite Party No.1 is entitled to get the benefits in terms of the order passed by the Tribunal.

8.

Issue urgent certified copy as per rules.

Arun/Banita (DR. B.R. SARANGI) JUDGE (S.K. MISHRA) JUDGE