The contentious issue of setting up permanent Benches of the Odisha High Court elsewhere in the State is getting murkier with each passing day having multifarious developments. While the State Chief Justice is meeting representatives of various lawyers’ associations and the State Government is planning to consult the former on the issue, agitated lawyers across the State refuge to budge an inch from their respective stands.
Even as the Chief Justice met the lawyers of western Odisha represented through the Central Action Committee (CAC) and the Balangir Bar Association (BBA) on Monday to take a stand on the Government’s initiative to have HC Benches elsewhere, the HC lawyers decided to continue their ongoing strike till Monday next.
Protesting against the State Government’s unilateral decision to recommend to the Centre for setting up HC Benches in southern and western Odisha, the HC lawyers have been boycotting court activities since September 26. At their general body meeting held on the day, it was decided to continue the strike till Monday next, informed HC Bar Association joint secretary Milan Badu.
“We are clear on our stand and we have decided to precipitate our strike, Badu said, adding that a team of HC lawyers would meet the Chief Justice again on Friday to submit an additional representation. It may be mentioned here that a 30-member team of the HC lawyers had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Justice last week.
On the other hand, after getting the State Government’s recommendation sent to him by the Union law Minister, Chief Justice AK Goel on Monday met a 15-member team of the CAC and a two-member team of the BBA.
Staking their claim to have a HC Bench in any part of western Odisha, the CAC submitted a memorandum to the Chief Justice and held a discussion with him for 15 minutes. “We apprised the Chief Justice about the necessity to have a HC Bench in any part of our area,” said CAC convener Ashok Das.
Similarly, a two-member team of the BBA met the Chief Justice and staked their claim to have a HC Bench at Balangir. “From historical and geographical points of view, Balangir is the appropriate place to have a HC Bench,” said a BBA member Rakhal Nanda, adding that Balangir also meets a number of requisites as mentioned in the Yashwant Singh Committee report.