Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju has made it clear that there is no proposal pending with the Central Government for setting up of the Bench(es) of Orissa High Court anywhere in the State.
The Minister said this replying to a question of Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari. In order to make it more specific, the Minister said that the Odisha Government has requested for setting up of Orissa High Court Benches in western and southern region of the State.
“But the Central Government has requested the State Government of Odisha to work out details of the proposed Bench including its location in consultation with the Orissa High Court,” replied the Minister. He further informed that High Court benches at a place other than its principal seat are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and judgment by Supreme Court in W.P. (C) No 379 of 2000 and after due consideration of a complete proposal from the State Government incorporating readiness to provide infrastructure and meet the expenditure , along with the consent of the Chief Justice of the concerned HC and consent of the Governor of the concerned State.
But this has not been done specifically, the Minister said. With such an answer from the Law and Justice Minister on the floor of the Parliament, the people of the western and southern region have lost hope for HC benches in their respective places that they have been demanding for decades.