Konark JMFC Court land issue back in Orissa High Court

CUTTACK:  The issue of functioning of the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Konark from the old building of additional tehsildar office has returned to the Orissa High Court. Konark Bar Association president Srijay Kumar Baral has filed a contempt petition alleging non-compliance of direction to the State government to allot land for construction of a permanent building of the JMFC Court. Earlier, Baral had filed a PIL seeking intervention for construction of a permanent building of the JMFC Court, Konark stating that the court has been functioning for the last five years from the building of the Additional Tehsildar office. 

The Court had disposed of the petition on November 3, 2020 with a direction to the State government to allot land for construction  of the JMFC court building in Konark by issuing Record of Rights (RoR) or land patta within three months. The Court had in its November 3, 2020 order further said, “The High Court of Orissa in its administrative side has already taken  a decision that in all outlying stations a piece of land measuring 3 acre shall be allotted for establishment of courts and construction of court building.

In pursuance thereto the Government has already allotted plots measuring 3 acre in different outlying stations. Therefore, there is nothing to be decided in the matter”. A division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray issued notice to the State  government on the contempt petition filed by Baral. “Additional Government Advocate PK Muduli will take instruction in the matter by next date listed on April 19, 2021”, the bench said while issuing the notice on March 22.