It is tough time for the local administration. While they don’t want to come to a confrontation mode with the lawyers holding a dharna for a permanent Bench of the Orissa High Court for more than 120 days, they also feel equally pressurized now from the common people to open all Government offices.
Different people and organisations have met the Sambalpur Collector in this regard, narrating their plight due to closure of offices for lawyers’ strike. The truck and bus owners associations narrated their problems for closure of the RTO office for a long time.
“This is age of computer and nothing is done manually now. Hence, we have to pay heavy fines for our buses and trucks after reopening of the office for renewal or any other purposes. But what is our fault,” they asked.
They have also requested the office bearers of the Sambalpur District Bar Association (SDBA) and the Central Action Committee (CAC) but the latter declined to accept their proposal before their demand is fulfilled.
The people have now used social media making similar demand for opening of the offices. They further alleged that the Government works are done secretly in locked up rooms and in residences of the officers, and only common people are bearing the brunt.
Matter doesn’t end here. The residents of Rengali, an industrial hub of the district, have also met the Collector to see that offices in Rengali function normally. “The people should feel that there is administration,” they told the Collector since they are unable to get their works done in different Government offices for months together.
Harihara Nath, Antaryami Pani, Narayan Sahu, Santosh Singh, Rajeev Mishra, Ramsahay Panda, Salegram Sahu and many others met the Collector and put forth their grievances. “But at the same time we have support for the agitation as well as demand for the HC Bench here,” Harihar Nath and all others said.
It’s a fact that the lawyers have also gained the support of all the organisations and individuals of the district on the issue of HC Bench.
Even, a recent letter of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the Union Government for HC benches in western and southern Odisha has not satisfied them. “The letter is meant to hoodwink the people and undermine a popular demand,” they alleged.
Collector Samarth Verma said, “We are trying our best to find asolution as early as possible.”