Odisha top Health official apologises to High Court in contempt of court case

Cuttack: Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Special Secretary Saroj Kumar Mishra apologised today to the Orissa High Court in Cuttack by personal appearance in a contempt of court case.

A new director will be given an appointment on a regular basis in Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) in Cuttack by the first week of December, the Secretary informed the Court.

According to a source, a petition was earlier filed by advocate Chittaranjan Mohanty pertaining to the issue over the appointment of a new director on a regular basis in Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC) of the AHRCC. Hearing the petition, the High Court had directed the H&FW Secretary for a personal appearance. However, by disobeying the court order, former director Dr Lalatendu Sarangi was reappointed as the director in charge of AHPGIC, the source added.

Worth mentioning, the Court had previously ruled against the continuation of Dr Sarangi as the director in charge of the AHPGIC and directed the State government and the Institute to choose a director in-charge till the time a new director is given an appointment on a regular basis.

Dr Sarangi was appointed as regular director of the AHPGIC on May 13, 2015. He was to retire on the superannuation of his service on March 17, 2022. However, he was given the charge as director in-charge for six months without appointing a new regular director in his place.

This was followed by periodic extensions and Dr Sarangi continued as in-charge director.