Cuttack: Orissa High Court has expressed dismay over the state government's failure to a follow a proposal to equate high court employees with those of the secretariat.

The court expressed its disappointment while considering allegations of government inaction in providing the revised scale to high court employees on par with their secretariat counterparts.

The court felt that the constitutional mandate, as conferred on the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court, had not been properly followed by the government as the proposal was sent in 1949 to equate high court employees with those of the secretariat.

The Chief Justice had also written a letter to the government to follow it in January 1995. The Supreme Court had observed that the state government should respect the Chief Justice's recommendation as he, being the head of the judiciary, had to look after the high court establishment, which was no less than the secretariat. "Therefore, we are of the opinion that the state government, by honouring the letter dated 12.1.1995 of the Chief Justice of this court, should revise the scale of pay of the Additional Stamp Reporter and Oath Commissioner, Stamp Reporter and Oath Commissioner and Establishment Officer with effect from May 1, 1989 as the counterparts of these employees in the State Secretariat have availed such benefit from that date," the division bench of Justice B.K. Nayak and Justice D.P. Choudhury said in its January 3 order.

The bench was of the view that the government should accept the Chief Justice's recommendation because of the Supreme Court's clear observation and direct for the revision of pay scale of the posts at par with their counterparts at the secretariat because the policy has been already dealt in 1949. "When the policy has been framed long years back and there is power of the Chief Justice under Article 229, it is expected that State Government would not hesitate to honour the same," the bench observed.