Govt approves State Litigation Policy

The SLP was approved at the cabinet meeting presided by chief minister Naveen Patnaik. "Aim of the policy is to create a feeling among the people by demonstrating that State is an efficient and responsible litigant, reasonable in its approach in respect of grievance of a person," chief secretary B K Patnaik told reporters.

Stating that this will create confidence among people that state government discharges its responsibility to protect rights of citizen in respect of fundamental rights and welfare for their security and ultimately to have good governance, he said many cases need to be addressed though grievance redressal mechanism to be in place in different departments.

Grievance or complaint of a person is to be carefully examined and all endeavour should be made to satisfy the person aggrieved by redressing his grievance or by explaining him the difficulties in redressal of his grievance as per his claim and those connected with the litigation should not leave the matter to the adjudicating forum to decide with an attitude that "Let it be decided by the courts", the policy said.

Any such attitude coming to the notice has to be seriously viewed, it said adding the law department would take final decision on whether the state need to appeal in higher court against any judgement of the lower court.

Even some cases pending in the court could be addressed in alternative grievance redressal mechanism to facilitate withdrawal of cases.

The state will also have monitoring mechanism to review implementation of the policy, the chief secretary said.

Advocate General and other members not exceeding six in number to be nominated by Law Department with approval of the Chief Secretary for constituting the Empowered Committee.

One of the Additional Secretaries of Law Department shall be Member Secretary of the committee.