Fearing contempt proceedings, govt pays dues to college

Odisha government has granted UGC scale to a local college teacher and paid him arrear due to him for last 13 years.
This came to light today when the Odisha High Court was informed that the government has accorded UGC scale to Gadadhar Rout, an economics teacher of Christ College here.
The government has also deposited an amount of Rs 16,40,960 in the college account towards the outstanding arrear of Rout.
The government action came following an order passed last month by the HC.
Justice Dr B R Sarangi had ordered that if the earlier orders of the HC in this matter are not complied with within two weeks, then two government officers would have to appear in person before the court and show cause as to why contempt of court proceedings will not be initiated against them.

Rout had joined the college as a teacher in 1997 and became eligible for UGC scale of pay from 2003. But the state government ignored his repeated pleas and he approached the HC in 2011.

In January last year, the HC allowed Rout's plea and directed the state government to take required steps.
But when the government failed to comply with the order, Rout preferred a contempt petition. He obtained a favourable order in July, 2015 which asked the government was told to make the payments within two months.
Even when that did not materialise, the teacher had filed the second contempt of court petition in October last year.