Members of the Ganjam Bar Association began a four-day strike on Monday demanding establishment of a permanent Bench of the Orissa High Court in south Odisha at Brahmapur.
The association finalised its plan to spearhead the agitation after holding an emergency meeting of its members, sources said. As a result, the judicial work in almost all the courts reportedly have come to a standstill.
As per the call given by the association, hundreds of lawyers gathered in the premises of the Office of the Bar Association here on Monday afternoon and thereafter staged demonstration in front of the main gate of the District Judge Court shouting slogans in support of their long cherished demand.
Bar Association president Narasingh Patra, secretary Pitabas Panda, vice-president Minati Rath and joint secretary Madan Mohan Patra led the agitation.
Mention may be made here that, the Advocates of Ganjam Bar Association has been demanding for establishment of a permanent HC Bench in Brahmapur since more than three decades which unfortunately remain unheeded by the Government. It may be recalled that, the strike and ceasework resorted to by the members of the Ganjam Bar Association in 2008 was so vibrant that the members continued to boycott the court work for months bringing judicial work to an impasse that drew the sympathy of the local public and media attention across the State.
Association secretary Pitabas Panda said that Brahmapur is the epicenter of cultural heritage and commercial capital of south Odisha and hence, deserves a permanent HC Bench.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik earlier favored setting up of permanent benches of High Court in Sambalpur and Brahmapur.