Even as Balangir lawyers staged a rally before the State Assembly here on Tuesday demanding establishment of a permanent High Court Bench in their town, the Assembly was adjourned four times on the day as Congress members insisted on a reply from the Chief Minister on setting up Benches of the Orissa High Court for which lawyers’ associations in different regions have resorted to cease-work agitations for long and common people have been deprived of getting justice.
Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra said the Government has the responsibility to ensure smooth functioning of courts.
While lawyers have been resorting to strikes, courts have stopped functioning. As a result, the people have been deprived of getting justice.
Mishra wanted to know why the State Government has not presented in the Assembly the Justice CR Pal Commission report vis-a-vis identification of location for establishment of HC Benches even after six years of its submission.
“It has been almost six years that Justice CR Pal Commission was formed to identify a location for establishment of a permanent Bench of High Court in western Odisha. The Government is yet to table the report before the Assembly,” rued Mishra.
Stating that lawyers of Balangir visited Bhubaneswar on the day to place their grievance before the Governor and the Government, Mishra requested that either the Chief Minster or the Law Minister go and hold discussions with them.
Besides, he also demanded that the CM or the Law Minister make a statement in the House.
As Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro didn’t give any ruling on the issue, Congress members led by Tara Prasad Bahinipati rushed into the Well of the House and shouted slogans. Unable to run proceedings, Patro adjourned the House first for four times from 12.06 pm 3 pm.