Cuttack, April 6: Retired judges of Orissa High Court filed a contempt petition against the state government for not implementing the court order to redress their grievances related to medical facility and domestic help provided to them.

The Orissa High Court Retired Judges’ Association, in its petition, submitted that the state government had not provided medical facility and domestic help to them as provided to their counterparts in other states of eastern region.

Last year on March 20, the court directed the Odisha government to implement the order within two months. The association filed the present contempt petition, stating that the Odisha chief secretary and finance secretary had not complied with the order so far. When the matter had come up for hearing on Thursday, government advocate sought more time to comply with the order.

The division bench of Justice M.M. Das and Justice B.K. Mishra granted time till May 1 and posted the matter to June 17 for hearing.

In February 2011, the Odisha government had decided to provide monthly domestic and medical allowance to the retired high court judges equal to the retired judicial officers of the state.

But, the association had filed a petition, seeking direction for medical facilities as was being available during incumbency of high court judgeship.

The retired judicial officers are paid monthly domestic allowance of Rs 2,500 and medical allowance of Rs 1,500.

On the other hand, sitting judges of the court are provided medical facilities under reimbursement process. They are also provided with domestic help, who get Class IV employer salary.

Disposing of the petition on March 20, 2012, the court directed the Odisha government to frame rules and guidelines by modifying the earlier ones and provide domestic help, facility and telephone by taking into consideration the facilities provided to the retired high court judges in other states of eastern region.