CUTTACK: Members of State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) Bar Association, Cuttack Bench resorted to one-day cease work agitation on Tuesday in protest against State Government decision to abolish Odisha Administrative Tribunal (OAT).
The Bar Association, which has condemned the decision of the Government, demanded its roll-back.
The association has stated that while many tribunals including Labour, Co-operative, Sales Tax and Central Administrative Tribunals are functioning, the decision to abolish OAT, where more than 54,000 cases are pending due to lack of infrastructure and full-fledged judge strength, is a matter of regret.
“Without considering the ground reality, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been wrongly biased by some bureaucrats having short-sightedness to take such worthless decision,” said Ullash Chandra Mohanty, president of SAT Bar Association, Cuttack Bench.
The SAT Bar Association has convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to chalk out future course of action. “We will meet Chief Justice, Orissa High Court, Prime Minister and Union Law Minister in this regard to press our demand for withdrawal of decision to abolish OAT,” Mohanty said and added that the SAT Bar Association would intensify agitation if the demand is not met.