HIMADRI SEKHAR MOHANTY Vs. STATE OF ODISHA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present Writ Petition has been filed by the Petitioner, calling in question the legality and propriety of the decision communicated to him vide District Court Letter No. 5208 dtd. 1/8/2025, whereby his claim for release of retiral and pensionary benefits has been rejected on the cryptic and unreasoned ground of "no merit".

(2.) Mr. Goutam Mukherjee, learned Senior Advocate appearing for the petitioner and Mr. Jayant Kumar Bal, learned Additional Standing Counsel appearing for the opposite parties, have been heard in extenso.

(3.) The facts giving rise to the present writ petition are that the petitioner, Himadri Sekhar Mohanty, was initially appointed as a Junior Clerk under the Office of the District Judge, Balasore, vide Order No. 143 dtd. 4/7/1986 and was posted as Leave Reserve Clerk in the Court of the Sub-Judge, Balasore. Subsequently, the said recruitment process was declared irregular and, as a consequence thereof, the services of all appointees of the said batch, including the petitioner, were terminated vide Order No. 350 dtd. 23/10/1987. One of the retrenched employees, namely Chittaranjan Mohapatra, assailed the termination before this Court in O.J.C. No. 7468 of 1992, which was disposed of by this Court vide order dtd. 15/11/1993, directing the District Judge, Balasore to consider his case in the light of the policy decision of the Government as contained in G.A. Department Notification No. 9197/GA-2R/1-1/91 dtd. 30/3/1991.