SAMBALPUR: Renewing agitation for establishment of a high court (HC) bench in Sambalpur, members of the district bar association resorted to cease work over the demand on Wednesday. The protest by lawyers paralysed functioning of courts in the district. The agitating lawyers also shut down offices of the revenue divisional commissioner (RDC), district collector and other state government departments.
The lawyers announced that a decision has been taken to paralyse functioning of state government offices on every Wednesday over the issue till their demand is met. If any public holiday coincides with a Wednesday, they will resort to agitation the next working day.
President of Sambalpur district bar association Sureswar Mishra said on September 28, all western Odisha bar associations under the aegis of central action committee (CAC) had staged demonstration in front of the State Assembly demanding a comprehensive proposal from the government for establishment of a HC bench in Sambalpur.
“A ministerial group and secretaries of government departments held discussion with us and we were assured that steps would be taken to send a comprehensive proposal to the Centre for setting up a HC bench with the consent of Orissa High Court. However, no step has been taken in this regard even after more than a month,” claimed Mishra.
“We want the State government to expedite the process of sending the comprehensive proposal for establishment of a HC bench in Sambalpur to the Centre with consent of Orissa High Court,” he added.
During the agitation over the HC bench demand on September 28, residents of Sambalpur had extended support to the lawyers. The CAC had shut down all government offices in Sambalpur and staged dharna outside the district court.