"Bizarre State Of Affairs”: Orissa HC Orders Online Training For All Tahasildars & Revenue Officials In State On Proper Issuance Of Eviction Notices
The Orissa High Court has directed the State to conduct an online training programme for all the Tahasildars as well as the Revenue Officials in the State on how to properly issue a notice of eviction so that the “citizens shall not get unnecessarily confused.”
Noting the “bizarre state of affairs,” the Court remarked that there was non-indication of date, non-disclosure of signature and improper details etc. in the notice of eviction in many cases.
A Single Bench of Justice S.K. Panigrahi observed, “At this juncture, looking to the bizarre state of affairs pertaining to the non-indication of date, non-disclosure of signature and improper details etc. in the notice of eviction in many cases, this Court directs the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Government of Odisha to conduct an Online Training Programme for all the Tahasildars as well as the Revenue Officials in the State of Odisha as to how the notice of eviction would be issued properly with detailed particulars so that the citizens shall not get unnecessarily confused.”
Advocate Debasis Tripaty appeared for the petitioner, while AGA Ch. Satyajit Mishra represented the respondent.
The petitioner in the case had challenged the initiation of an encroachment proceeding against him. The petitioner also challenged the notice issuing show cause in the said encroachment case.
The State submitted that the petitioner, instead of responding to the notice as required, filed a writ petition.
Considering the submission of the State, the High Court directed the petitioner to file his reply to the show cause notice within a period of ten days. “In such event, the authority concerned shall take a lawful decision on the reply of the Petitioner within a period of one month thereafter,” the Court stated.
The Bench further directed that “till consideration of the reply to the show cause to be submitted by the Petitioner, no coercive action shall be taken against the Petitioner pursuant to the above noted encroachment case.”
Consequently, the Court directed the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to conduct an Online Training Programme for all the Tahasildars as well as the Revenue Officials in the State of Odisha as to “how the notice of eviction would be issued properly with detailed particulars so that the citizens shall not get unnecessarily confused.”
“The said Online Training Programme shall be completed in a phased manner within a period of one month from the date of presentation of an authenticated copy of this order,” the Bench directed.
Accordingly, the High Court disposed of the petition.
Cause Title: Maninatha Swain v. State of Odisha & Ors.