SAMBALPUR: THE agitation by lawyers of District Bar Association (DBA), Sambalpur, over the demand for establishment of High Court bench in Western Odisha completed 100th day on Thursday.
They resorted to cease-work and paralysed functioning of judicial and revenue courts in the City on September 5.Initially, the DBA had decided to continue the agitation till September 20. Subsequently, Central Action Committee (CAC) of All Western Odisha Bar Association took the decision to extend the agitation across the region till December 15. As per the decision of the CAC, the DBA intensified the agitation from November 19. The DBA has been paralysing functioning of all the State and Central government offices since November 19. It had also called 48-hour Mahabandh on November 29 and 30.
Chairman of Action Committee of DBA, Pradip Bohidar said even though the agitation has completed 100 days, the Government has remained silent over the genuine demand of the people of Western Odisha. They will continue their agitation, he said. A meeting of the CAC will be held at Birmaharajpur in Subarnapur district on December 14 to decide future course of action.
On September 5, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to the Union Government for establishment of the High Court benches in western and southern Odisha. Following this, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote to Naveen over the issue on September 10 and asked the Odisha Government to send a comprehensive proposal with the consent of the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court for setting up of benches.
While the people are facing problems due to closure of courts and Government offices, the Government is losing revenue. This apart, the cease-work by the lawyers has caused overcrowding of Sambalpur Circle Jail. As on Thursday, the number of inmates in the jail was 1,032 against the capacity of 541. The accused of petty cases, who are in the jail, have failed to obtain bail due to the stir.
Nabarangpur bandh on December 18
NABARANGPUR: Members of he District Bar Association will observe bandh on December 18 over their demand for HC bench in either Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri or Rayagada districts. Informing this to mediapersons on Thursday, president of District Bar Association Narasingha Tripathy said government offices, banks and commercial establishments will remain closed on the day in support of the bandh. Secretary of association Ram Prasad Patro further said this year all the Bar associations of the four districts joined and formed a Central Coordination and Action Committee to take necessary measures for the establishment of a permanent bench of Orissa High Court. The committee in its meeting on December 5 unanimously decided to go for a dawn to dusk bandh.