Cuttack: With the extension of nationwide lockdown by two more weeks from May 4, the restricted functioning of Orissa High Court and subordinate courts will continue till May 17, stated the HC in a notification today.

As per the order in view of issuance of new guidelines on lockdown measures by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the normal functioning of the High Court and the subordinate courts in Odisha will remain suspended till May 17.

However, the restricted functioning of the courts will continue with a little modifications with effect from May 4.

As per the notification, the High Court shall function on all five days of a week with one division bench on Tuesday and Thursday and five single benches on each working day of the week till May 15.

The judges in division bench shall also hold single benches after completion of the work of the division bench.

The subordinate courts and their offices falling in the Red Zone shall function only for one hour as per the directions made earlier and to take up criminal and civil cases of extremely urgent nature.

The HC in its order stated that the working of subordinate courts and their offices coming under Orange Zone shall function for two hours from 9.00 am to 11.00 am except the courts and their offices in Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Chhatrapur, Koraput (Sadar), Puri (Sadar), where there is no morning sitting shall function from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm.

Similarly, the lower courts falling in the Green Zone shall function from usual office hours upto the lunch break for two and half hours.