[Cites 1, Cited by 0]
Orissa High Court
Trithabasi Sahu vs Smt. Anu Garg on 23 March, 2026
Author: Chittaranjan Dash
Bench: Chittaranjan Dash
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK
CONTC No.5813 of 2025
Trithabasi Sahu .... Petitioner
Represented by Adv.-
Mr. A. Pattjoshi, Adv.
-versus-
Smt. Anu Garg, IAS, .... Respondents
Principal Secretary to Govt Represented by Adv.-
Dept. of Water Resources, Mrs. S. Pattanayak, AGA
Bhubaneswar, Khurda
CONTC No.5814 of 2025
Dhanaraj Sahu .... Petitioner
Represented by Adv.-
Mr. A. Pattjoshi, Adv.
-versus-
Smt. Anu Garg, IAS, .... Respondents
Principal Secretary to Govt Represented by Adv.-
Dept. of Water Resources, Mrs. S. Pattanayak, AGA
Bhubaneswar, Khurda
CORAM:
JUSTICE KRISHNA SHRIPAD DIXIT
JUSTICE CHITTARANJAN DASH
ORDER
23.03.2026
Order No.
02.
A Co-ordinate Bench Decision of this Court, vide order dated
19.11.2024 in complainant's WP(C) No.28451 of 2024, had given the
benefit in terms of paragraph 6 thereof which reads as under:
"6. In view of the above, we dispose of the writ petition with a
direction to opposite party no.l to sanction the amount at an early
stage and thereafter the opposite party No.3-Special Land Acquisition
Officer, Upper Indravati Irrigation Project, Kusumkhunti, in the
district of Kalahandi shall take expeditious step for disbursement of
the compensation amount by end of February, 2025, if there is no
other impediment."
2. After service of notice, the contemnors having entered appearance
through learned AGA Smt. Pattanayak, who have filed a set of documents.
The letter No.8341/WR, dated 17.05.2026 addressed to Office of the
Advocate General reads as under:
"To
The Advocate General, Odisha, Cuttack
Sub:- Compliance to the orders of Hon'ble High Court in 02
(Two) numbers of Contempt Cases.
Sir,
I am directed to inform you that necessary sanction
orders have already been issued in favour of 02(Two) numbers of
petitioners in the following Contempt Cases.
Sl. CONTC Name Sanctioned Sanctioned
No No. in Favour Order
1 5813/2025 Trithabasi Tirthabasi Sahu Letter
Sahu no.8301, dt-
17.3.2026
2 5814/2025 Dhanaraj Sahu Iswar Chandra Letter
Sahu & others No.8303, dt-
17.03.2026
It is therefore, requested to kindly pray before the
Hon'ble High Court for disposal of the above mentioned contempt
Cases.
This may be treated as Urgent.
Encl-as above Y ours faithfully,
Sd/-
Director (R&R) & Ex-Offico
Special Secretary to Government."
3. The Fax/e-mail No.8309/WR, dated 17.03.2026 reads as under:
"Government of Odisha
Department of Water Resources
WR-LA-CASEOP-0462-2025-8309 WR, Dated-17/03/2026
From
Shri Ashok Kumar Behera, OAS(SS)
Director (R&R) & Ex-Officio Special Secretary to Govt.
To
The Accountant General (A&E), Odisha, Bhubaneswar.
Sub- Sanction of decretal duas u/s-18(1) of the LA Act, 1894
amounting to Rs. 8,49,410/-(Rupees Eight Lakh Forty Nine
Thousand Four Hundred Ten) only in favour of Tirthabasi Sahu
of village-Kasibahal in the Dist Kalahandi under UIIP relating to
LAR No-63/2009& CONTC No-5813/2025.
Sir,
I am directed to convey the sanction of Government towards
payment of Rs. 8,49,410/-(Rupees Eight Lakh Forty Nine
Thousand Four Hundred Ten) only towards the payment of
decretal dues u/s-18(1) of the LA Act, 1894 in favour of Tirthabasi
Sahu of village-Kasibahal under UIIP In the Dist-Kalahandi for
Construction of UlIP.
2. The charge is debitable to "Demand No.20-4701-capital
outlay on-Medium Irrigation-State Sector Schemes-98-Upkeeping
of Existing Irrigation System Commercial-800-Other Expenditure-
0147-Clearance of Liabilities-14001-Payment of Decretal Dues
charged during the financial year 2025-26"
3. In no case, the expenditure will exceed the budget provision
for Financial Year 2025-26.
4. This has been concurred in by the FA Cell, DOWR
5. Payment should be made through Electronic transfer only.
This sanction order is based on the amount calculated by the Spl.
LAO. Only the interest component has been updated. It is expected
that the Spl, LAO has properly verified the award copy and the
judgment, before preparation of the calculation sheet. It is also
expected that the decretal dues to the decree holder has been
verified property at his level to avoid future legal complication.
Further, he must verify that the payment in respect of the above
case has not been made earlier.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
Director R&R & Ex-Officio
Special Secretary to Govt."
4. A perusal of the above two letters shows that the contemnor is being
reimbursed the amount due in terms of order of the Coordinate Bench.
5. Learned AGA submits that the credit of the said amount would
happen before long and there is no reason to doubt this version and
therefore, we do not grant any adjournment at the request of complainant,
contempt essentially being a matter between the Court and the contemnor.
In the above circumstances, the proceedings are dropped with a
warning to the contemnor to ensure due payment of the amounts specified
in the above subject letters within an outer limit of one month, failing
which it is open to the complainant to revive the complaint for aggravated
offence of contempt. In that event heavy costs payable by the contemnors
personally may happen in addition to possible confinement.
Web copy of order to be acted upon by all concerned.
(Krishna Shripad Dixit)
Judge
(Chittaranjan Dash)
Judge
Prasant
Signed by: PRASANT KUMAR SAHOO
