In a significant development that is likely to have wide ramifications, the strong and organised Puja Committees along with Peace Committees of Cuttack city have thrown their weight behind the ongoing agitation of Cuttack lawyers, who are vehemently opposing the State Government’s move to have permanent Benches of the Odisha High Court elsewhere.
At a joint meeting held in the HC bar hall on Thursday, executive members of all Puja Committees and Peace Committees along with representatives of all chambers of commerce in the city expressed their solidarity with the lawyers and said in unison that the pride of the city would not be allowed to be dented further. Terming the State Govt’s move in recommending to the Centre for establishment of two Benches of the HC in western and southern Odisha as “an attempt to belittle the importance of Cuttack city”, the panel heads threatened to paralyse all administrative functioning until Govt rolls back its decision.
“The general body of High Court Bar Association along with all local organisations will meet on October 7 to decide on a proposed Cuttack Bandh,” informed senior advocate Gangadhar Tripathy, who heads a 25-member Steering Committee of lawyers to mount pressure on the Government to desist from its move.
Meanwhile, many bars of coastal Odisha have also expressed their support to the High Court lawyers, who are on a cease-work stir for last nine days ever since the Chief Minister ignoring their pleas has gone ahead in “driving a wedge between the legal fraternities”, dividing them vertically.
Questioning the legal propriety of the CM’s September 28 letter to Kapil Sibal, the HC lawyers termed the CM”s attempt as highly “contemptuous” casting “aspersions” on the HC. The opening sentence of the CM’s letter to Sibal reads, “The people of western and southern regions of Odisha are deprived of getting legal relief from the Odisha HC which at present has one principal seat at Cuttack,” the HC lawyers pointed out.