The District Bar Association (DBA) of Sambalpur observed the ‘Chetabani Diwas’ here to give an ultimatum to the State and Central Governments for establishment of a permanent bench of the Orissa High Court in Sambalpur.
This time the DBA has made a specific demand for establishing the HC bench in Sambalpur.
Hundreds of organisations of the district also took part to extend their support to the Bar Association.
People cutting across party lines showed their unity for the bench. Even ruling BJD people were seen in more numbers, including former MLA Dr Raseswari Panigrahi, BJD district president Siddharth Das and all other senior leaders of the party.
So also former MLAs from Congress like Aswini Guru and Durjyodhan Gardia were in the meeting. Political parties apart, retired bureaucrats, educationists, former VC Prof AP Padhi, senior lawyers Dr Pramod Rath, Pradeep Bahidar among others were present. Bar Association president Sureswar Mishra presided.
The speech from each and everyone was one: 'We want the High Court Bench at Sambalpur.' They further said, “We will not tolerate any further delay since we have been waiting for the last six decades.”
Later, the members of the Bar Association and the other participants gave a memorandum to the RDC (ND) addressed to the Governor of Odisha requesting him to direct the Government of Odisha to submit a comprehensive proposal in consultation with the Chief Justice of HC to facilitate the Government of India to make law for establishment of the permanent HC bench at Sambalpur.