Odisha: HC Refuses To Interfere In Renaming Of ‘Jayadev Award’ By Previous BJD Regime

Cuttack: The Orissa high court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL), challenging renaming of ‘Jayadev Award’ being conferred upon a personality for outstanding contribution towards growth and development of Odia cinema since 1980.

‘Jayadev Award’ was substituted by ‘Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami Award’ by the previous BJD government through an amendment resolution, brining in the Odisha State Award for Films Rules, 2010’ in supersession of State Award of Films Rules, 1989, on July 26, 2023. Earlier, the ‘Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami Award’, named after the producer of ‘Sita Bibaaha’, the first film in Odia, was being conferred on the best feature film.

Following which, executive trustee of Jayadev Foundation Trust Dr Prafulla Chandra Tripathy  filed a PIL seeking intervention against it. “The amendment to make the changes was done in a mechanical manner without application of mind which undermined the status of the 12th century poet Jayadev one the great legends of Odisha, icon of Odia identity and pride in Indian sub-continent for his Gita Govinda,” Advocate Dayananda Mohapatra argued while appearing on the petitioner’s behalf.

Dismissing the petition, the two-judge bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho said the plea was ‘misconceived’ as the rules are not statutory in character. “What is under challenge in the present writ application falls within the exclusive domain of the executive. This court exercising power of judicial review under Article 226 of the Constitution of India does not have judicially determinable parameters to interfere with the impugned action of the state,” the bench said in its July 2 order released on July 4.