BHUBANESWAR: Glowing tributes were paid to Utkal Gauraba Madhusudan Das, who spearheaded the campaign for separate Odisha province, on the occasion of his 167th birth anniversary.
To mark the occasion, which is also observed as Lawyers’ Day, a meeting was held by Bhubaneswar Bar Association (BBA) on its campus where Orissa High Court Judge Justice Debabrata Das addressed the members.
Justice Das highlighted the need to strengthen legal-aid system in all districts of the State.
Legal Aid renders free services to marginalised sections who cannot afford services of a lawyer for the conduct of legal proceeding in court, tribunal or before an authority, he said.
Apart from facilitating speedy justice, legal aid cells reduce the workload of courts which are overburdened with pending cases, Justice Das added.
Addressing the gathering, eminent columnist Das Benhur urged the legal fraternity to follow in the footsteps of Madhu Babu, who not only fought for the State but also for freedom of expression, education, rural development and labour reforms.
On the occasion, members of Bhubaneswar Bar Association raised demands for a dispensary and Wi-Fi facility on district and sessions court premises.
The lawyers also demanded public utility services like toilets, air conditioning of all courts and to expedite establishment of judicial complex in the court complex.
Six senior members of the Bar were felicitated and meritorious students from law colleges across the State were awarded on the occasion.
Among others, District Judge in-charge, Khurda, Niranjan Sahoo, president, BBA Ashok Kumar Patra, secretary Chittaranjan Dash and BBA media coordinator Silabhadra Sastry were present.
