ORDER

Dr. S. Muralidhar, CJ. - This matter is taken up by video conferencing mode.

2. This writ petition is directed against the judgment dated 25th April, 2019 passed by the Orissa Administrative Tribunal (OAT), Cuttack Bench, Cuttack in O.A. No.793 (C) of 2017.

3. There is a long history to this litigation. The Petitioner is a Junior Engineer (JE) (Civil) in the office of the Assistant Soil Conservation Officer (ASCO), Nuapada, Orissa functioning in the Agriculture Department, Government of Odisha. On 14th October, 1993, a disciplinary proceeding was initiated against him for alleged irregularities in the execution of a water harvesting structure. This went on for five long years culminating the Director of Soil Conservation (DSC), i.e. Disciplinary Authority (DA) issuing an order dated 11th June, 1998 awarding the Petitioner the punishment inter alia of confirming the period of his suspension, recovering from him 25% of the loss of Rs. 9879 allegedly caused to the Department and directing that he should not be allowed to handle cash anymore and that it should be so recorded in his service book.

4. The Petitioner appealed against the said order to the Principal Secretary to the Go