Laywers go for hungerstrike for indefinite for High court bench

Sambalpur lawyers have decided to go for hunger strike for indefinite period from the coming republic day in protest against the government apathetic attitude on the establishment of a permanent bench of the high court in western Orissa. They also decided to completely paralyze the judiciary of the region till government takes a suitable step on their long pending demand from January.

“We have decided to intensify our agitation from the New Year in protest against he government’s silence on the high court bench issue. You are talking about justice at door step, but when question of decentralization of high court comes, you behave as if you know nothing about the issue. We have been fighting on this particular issue over the past 3 decades but government takes no step to redress out genuine demand. So we have given an ultimatum to the both chief minister and governor to take immediate step on this issue before 26^th of January”, president of the district Bar Association Pradeep Kumar Bohidar told.

Sources said, lawyers of the region are presently up in arms following the antagonist act of the state government in regard to the establishment of a Orissa high court bench in the western region of the state. During each election, political parties make it a prime issue in their manifesto but soon after election they forget it. “We do not have faith on political parties after hearing so many assurances on this issue during election. Now we decide to make it a public movement to achieve goal. We will create such a situation when government will bound to take action”, general secretary of the district bar association Chitta Ranjan Panda told.

The lawyers have also decided to begin economic blockade on 26^th December as the last working day of the year. They will block all good vehicles plying on the National highway on that day. “We have decided to block the goods trucks on 26^th December. However we will allow other vehicles to run on the road”, Panda told. .

It may be informed the lawyers of the region are agitating since a long time for the establishment of a high court bench in western Orissa. As per the decision of the central action committee of the western Orissa bar associations, judicial courts and revenue offices are being closed down on last 3 working days of each month. This time due to x-mas holiday agitation will be held on 23^rd, 24^th and 26^th of December.