Orissa HC disposes of PIL not listed in last 5 years

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has disposed of a PIL without passing any orders after finding out that it was not listed even once after being registered suo moto by it over five years back. “There have been many developments which have not been accounted for since the writ petition was not listed even once after January 13, 2016. Consequently, the writ petition is disposed of,” a division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray said on Monday.

While suo motu registering the PIL on the basis of a news report, the High Court had directed the State Housing and Urban Development department to reply as to why the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) should not be directed to initiate prosecution against the commissioners of all municipal corporations and the chairmen of all municipal authorities for violation of mandatory provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

The OSPCB was also directed to state before the court by January 22, 2016 the steps taken by it for enforcement of relevant provisions of the act for restoration of quality of water of rivers and streams in which sewage affluent are disposed of by the urban local bodies.