Members of the Rourkela Bar Association and political parties on Saturday intensified their agitation over the demand to set up vigilance court in Rourkela.
Normal functioning of all courts and State Government offices was disrupted for the day. The agitating lawyers closed all criminal, civil and executive courts and picketed at the RTO, mining, civil supplies, weight and measures, treasury and municipality offices at Uditnagar. A memorandum was submitted to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through Rourkela ADM RN Mishra.
The agitation was launched in the wake of a recent announcement by a high court justice that the court would be located about 100 kilometres from the district headquarters town of Sundargarh.
Bar president Ramesh Bal said of nearly 260 vigilance cases on trial in the district, 200 come under Rourkela jurisdiction. The court at Rourkela would be a great relief as the litigant will not have to travel 180 kms to Sambalpur vigilance court, he added.