Elated over the response of Union law Minister Kapil Sibal to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the issue of the latter’s recommendation for setting up permanent Benches of the Odisha High Court in western and southern Odisha, the High Court Bar Association here on Thursday claimed that their stand on the issue has been vindicated.
Sibal in his reply to Patnaik on Wednesday pointed out that his (Patnaik’s) recommendation is “incomplete” and any such recommendation for setting up any HC Bench has to be endorsed by the High Court Chief Justice.
It may be mentioned that Patnaik on September 28 had urged Sibal to take appropriate measures in setting up HC Benches without mentioning any specific places as their locations. Patnaik had unilaterally made the recommendation without discussing the matter with the State Chief Justice.
Members of the High Court Bar Association at an emergency general body meeting said they have been boycotting the court proceedings for nearly a month now over the same stand saying that the views of the Chief Justice on the matter is “sacrosanct”.
“It (Patnaik’s recommendation) was unconstitutional and against a ruling of the Supreme Court as it was not made in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court,” said HC Bar Association secretary Janmejaya Katakia.
He informed that the general body of the HC bar would again meet on Friday after the scheduled Steering Committee meeting with various Puja Committees and Peace Committees of the city to take a final stand on the proposed Cuttack bandh. While it was tentatively decided to observe the bandh on October 28, suggestions are coming to postpone it further in view of the unprecedented rains in the city and the consequent waterlogging.