North Odisha lawyers demand HC bench, launch cease work

Baripada, Oct 3:
Alleging that the Odisha government ignored them while making the recommendation for setting up benches of Orissa High Court in western and southern region of the State, lawyers of northern districts today intensified their agitation.

The five-day long cease work launched since October 1 by the Mayurbhanj District Bar Association of Baripada demanding a bench of High Court at Baripada entered its third day today. The agitation has paralyzed the function of all judicial courts, including the District and Sessions Court here, with the main gate of the Court blocked by the lawyers.

Supporting the agitating lawyers, JMM Odisha unit President and former MP Sudam Marandi also sat on a hunger strike before the Mayurbhanj Collector office here today.

More than a hundred JMM activists, including district unit president Bhadav Hansda, former MLA Ajen Murmu, State Spokesperson Krushnananda Mohanty joined Marandi in the hunger strike.

Marandi later submitted a memorandum through the district administration addressed to the Chief Minister urging him to recommend setting up of a bench of High Court at Baripada. He criticized the neglect of Mayurbhanj as well as north Odisha by the BJD Government on the current issue.

While the report of the Justice CR Pal Commission is awaited, it is not proper to make any recommendation, Marandi said.

JMM has threatened to launch a mass agitation over the issue if the demand of the lawyers of north Odisha was not met by the state government. (PTI)