HC Asks Odisha Govt To Allow Visitors Easy Access To State Secretariat

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the state Home Department to come up with a plan to ensure easy access to people visiting the Secretariat building (Lok Seva Bhawan) here to take part in proceedings related to their grievances.

The directive followed a petition filed by a woman, who was denied permission to enter the secretariat in connection with an appeal pending before the special secretary Housing and Urban Development department.

Though the department through the state counsel gave an unto allow the petitioner to participate in the hearing by issuing the necessary pass, the single Judge bench of Justice B R Sarangi chose not to rest the case. “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,” the court observed.

It further noted: “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 for the parties who want to appear before the statutory authorities.”

Justice Sarangi ordered the state Home department to come up with a solution to this difficulty faced by people and file an affidavit in this regard.

The case would be taken up after a week for further consideration along with the affidavit.