State Bar Council supports stir against abolition of OAT

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Sep 26:

The State Bar Council today lent its support behind Odisha Administrative Tribunal (OAT) lawyers’ association and decided to join the stir protesting the state government’s proposal to abolish the Tribunal.

In protest against this, the lawyers across the state will cease work on Monday.

Besides, the Council gave a 15-day deadline to the government to revoke the decision failing which it will wear black badges post the expiry of the deadline.

The lawyers affiliated to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack OAT Bar associations have been resenting since the government decided to abolish the Tribunal.

Notably, the state cabinet on September 9 approved a decision to abolish the SAT on the ground that the Tribunal set up in 1986 has not been able to achieve its desired goal. With its principal bench at Bhubaneswar, the tribunal was functioning from its permanent and regular bench here at Cuttack and circuit benches at Sambalpur and Berhampur.

It may be recalled that the members of Bhubaneswar OAT Bar association had burnt tyres and blocked roads along the Cuttack-Puri road in protest against the decision.