Cuttack, Dec 10: Essential skill in reading and writing Odia language, is a must, ruled the Orissa High Court on Wednesday.

While hearing pleas of a sitting Sarpanch, disqualified for his lack of essential Odia knowledge for officiating the GP, a bench of the Orissa High Court, rejected the petition citing the same.

Upholding the disqualification of one Maheshwar Jena Sarpanch Bishnupur Gram Panchayat in the Balasore district on literacy grounds, the Orissa High Court allowed for a fresh election.

According to reports, the judgment ruled that functional literacy in the State’s official language is an essential requirement for the PRI members.

The HC bench stated that a person is ineligible to even contest for PRI institutions if unable to read Odia. The order also emphasized that the inability to write Odia also attracts disqualification. It noted that “mere ability in reading Odia is not sufficient.”

The bench also observed that the statutory framework under Section 19 of the Odisha Grama Panchayats Act, 1964 needs basic language skills to officiate.

Worth mentioning, Maheshwar Jena, who had moved the High Court against an April 20, 2024, order of the Civil Judge, Balasore, following his disqualification.After trial, the writ petition was disposed of with an order citing, “was leading to no meaning.” However, the order stated that the disqualification is provisional in nature i.e the disqualification will be revoked once he acquires reading and writing skill in Odia, essential to officiate properly.