SAMBALPUR: Lawyers of western Odisha on Monday launched a six-day agitation ‘Chetabani Saptaha’ demanding establishment of a permanent bench of the Orissa High Court (HC). The functions of courts, Government offices and financial institutins across the region were paralysed due to the agitation. The Central Action Committee (CAC) of All Bar Associations of Western Odisha (ABAWO) had decided to launch the six-day protest from February 19 to 24 to press their long pending demand.
The lawyers picketed in front of various Central and State Government offices besides banks and closed those in Sambalpur for the entire day. They also staged dharna at Nelson Mandela Chowk here. Members of various social and political organisations have extended their support to the lawyers’ stir.
However, the lawyers have exempted the educational institutions, health services, public transport, shops and business establishments besides other essential services from the agitation.
Similar protest has been reported from Jharsuguda, Nuapada and Deogarh districts while the lawyers of Sonepur paralysed courts besides offices of Sub-Registrar and Regional Transport Authority. However, lawyers of Bargarh Bar Association resorted to cease work only.Convenor of CAC Ashok Dash said the ‘Chetabani Saptaha’ is being observed across western Odisha. The agitation has badly hit functioning of the State and Central Government offices across the region except Balangir and Bhawanipatna. The functioning of banks came to a standstill in some districts. The CAC has demanded to locate the HC bench at any suitable place of western Odisha, he added.
President of Sambalpur District Bar Association Atanu Ghose said the State Government wrote a letter to the Centre to take necessary steps for establishment of HC bench in western Odisha in 2013. In response to the letter, the Ministry of Law had urged the Government to give specific proposal with opinion of the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court on October 23, 2013. After the correspondence, neither the Centre nor the State Government proceeded further, he alleged.
The lawyers had resorted to strike for 42 days over the demand in 2013. Subsequently, they had also staged demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on November 28, 2016. Moreover, the people of western Odisha under the banner of Paschim Odisha Nagarik Kriyanusthan Committee staged mass dharna in front of Orissa High Court in Cuttack over the demand on November 10 last year.