Orissa HC reinstates Bhuban NAC chairperson

Cuttack: Orissa high court has quashed the removal of Suvendu Kumar Sahoo as chairperson of the Bhuban Notified Area Council (NAC) in Dhenkanal district, ruling that the state govt’s action was legally unsustainable.

With the ruling, Sahoo stands reinstated as chairperson of the Bhuban NAC.Delivering judgment on Feb 26, a single-judge bench of Justice R K Pattanaik set aside both the June 18, 2025 notice and the Sept 9, 2025 notification issued under Section 53 of the Odisha Municipal Act, 1950. The notification, issued by the director of municipal administration, had removed Sahoo from office with immediate effect.Sahoo, elected on March 30, 2022, had moved the high court on Sept 15, 2025, challenging the legality of the proceedings initiated against him. The allegations included non-constitution of ward committees in violation of Section 57-A of the Act, irregularities in sanitation work and alleged excess labour payments, and execution of paver road projects without prior approval from the water resources department, purportedly breaching Rule 335 of the Odisha Municipal Rules, 1953.

Justice Pattanaik, however, found that the record did not disclose any material to establish “wilful default or deliberate intent” on the part of the petitioner. He also noted that the inquiry report had not been supplied to Sahoo during the proceedings.“When the court finds that there has been irregularities alleged against the petitioner in absence of anything on record even remotely suggesting that it was a wilful default or deliberate intent… the irresistible conclusion of the court is that the impugned decision cannot be sustained,” Justice Pattanaik observed.

The judgment further clarified that “mere negligence or irregularities… cannot be a ground enough for his removal under Section 53 of the Act,” unless backed by a definite finding of wilful or deliberate misconduct.Holding that the action suffered from “legal infirmity”, the court concluded: “As a necessary corollary, the impugned notice and notification are hereby quashed.”