Western Odisha’s Central Action Committee (CAC) of lawyers spearheading a movement for High Court Bench in the western region turned down the letter sent by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the Union law Minister, saying that the letter bears no value. On the contrary, the committee demanded that a complete data-based appraisal letter be sent by the State.
In view of this, the lawyers under the banner of CAC who have been sitting on dharna since February 3 have decided to continue the stir till February 20. The committee has called for a bandh in western Odisha on February 19. later, it would decide the next course of action, CAC sources said. Notably, a 14-member team of CAC representatives had met State law Minister Maheswar Mohanty on February 9 at the Secretariat and discussed the matter.
Meanwhile, the Government offices and courts of Sundargarh district headquarters town were closed from Friday. Significantly, according to the decision of the CAC, the district lawyers picketed at all the Government offices of Sundargarh on February 3. All the offices and court remained closed from February 3 to 13 condemning no progress over the demand on establishment of High Court Bench. On Friday, offices of Sundargarh were supposed to be opened but the advocates of district bar association went for a picketing on Friday morning as per the decision of the CAC to continue the stir. As a result, all the Government offices and courts were closed. “We have extended support to the stir which will continue till February 20,” said senior advocate and Sundargarh Bar Association former secretary S Mohapatra.