Report by Dipti Ranjan Kanungo, Bhubaneswar : Orissa High Court has convicted Director of  Higher Secondary Education, Orissa Dharanidhar Nath of contempt of court.

Nath was found guilty for violating a order od Orissa High Court and not carrying out his own undertaking given to the court over a year ago.

A Division bench of the court comprising Justice B P Das and Justice R N Biswal summoned Nath to be present in the court on December 2 when the quantum of sentence would be pronounced.

The ruling, delivered  followed a contempt petition filed by the entire staff of a city-based women training institute.

While the high court in May 2007 had ordered for disbursement of enhanced salary to the staff, the order was not carried out till May 2008 following which a contempt petition was filed against the Director.

In response to the notice of the court on contempt petition, Nath had made an affidavit to the court in August 2008 stating that the enhanced salary would be paid within three months. He had also submitted an undertaking to this effect in the court.

As a year had passed since Nath made the affidavit and gave the undertaking, the staff again approached the court recently informing that they were still deprived of the enhanced salary and also did not get the existing salary for the last three months.