Orissa High Court

Cuttack, July 9: The industries department of Orissa has been accused of not cooperating with the advocate-general’s office to file clarification in pursuance of the high court orders.

Orissa counsel V. Narasingh had made the accusation. He sought more time in connection with orders on a petition filed by the C.V. Raman College of Engineering in Bhubaneswar seeking judicial intervention against non-issuance of notification by the Biju Patnaik University of Technology on conferring of autonomous status to it by the UGC and appointment of a nominee to the board of its governing body.

Recording it, the high court has granted 10 days time to file the clarification or personal appearance of the industries secretary of Orissa.

Narasingh had alleged before the court on July 6 that “the industries department is not cooperating and producing the records to enable him to file counter affidavit”.

Fixing its hearing on July 20, the single-judge bench of Justice S.C. Parija said: “It is made clear that if the counter affidavit is not filed within the stipulated time, the industries secretary shall be present in court on the day fixed to assist the court in the matter”.

Chairman of the C.V. Raman College of Engineering Sanjiv Kumar Rout filed the petition stating that the institution had been facing difficulties in carrying out the functions of an autonomous college due to delay in issuance of the required notification by the Biju Patnaik University of Technology. Consequently, the governing body meeting has not been held and courses for the next academic session not been introduced as per guidelines. Different cells and committees have not been constituted even as the academic session has started.

According to the petition, on January 13, the UGC conferred the autonomous status to C.V. Raman College of Engineering and communicated it to registrar of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology. Subsequently on April 15, the UGC nominated vice-chancellor (technical) of the Uttarakhand University Dr D.S. Chauhan as its representative to the board of the governing body.

Though the industries department had been intimated to send the government’s nominee to form the governing body, it had not responded till date.

On March 17, registrar of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology had, in a letter to the principal of the college, stated that the matter of conferring autonomous status had already been taken up by the university and the notification would be issued soon. However, nothing had followed, the petition said.