lawyers launched economic blockade demanding high court bench

trucks are piles 
on the highway

Sambalpur lawyers have launched ‘economic blockade’ to make the ongoing agitation, demand of high court bench in western Orissa, more vibrant and forceful. The lawyers said they took this decision when they did not see any positive response of the state government despite of their repeated demand. The lawyers blocked the National highway at Ainthapali on Thursday and did not allow the movement of loaded carriers passing through the route. 

The ‘blockade’ that was continued from dawn to dust caused huge loss to the industrial houses because of non-transportation of coals and raw materials. Though elaborate police arrangement was made in view of the agitation, administration did not take any attempt to confront the lawyers. “Since agitation was in a peaceful manner, we did not try to confront them as there was possibility of serious law and order situation,” a senior police officer DK Deo said.

The lawyers on the other hand criticised the ‘indifferent’ attitude of the state government on high court bench issue. They warned the government to create severe law and order situation in future, if the government does not take steps to mitigate their demand. “High court bench is a genuine demand for the people of western Orissa. Decentralization of judiciary becomes talk of the day. But we do not understand why government is deliberately ignore the issue”, senior lawyer Satya Narayan Panda said.  

Sources said hundreds of lawyers assembled at Ainthapali Chowk at National highway 6 (Mumbai-Calcutta) in the morning on Thursday and started blocking the road. They did not allow a single truck to pass on the route. However passenger buses and school buses along with cars were not included in the blockade. Hundreds of truck stranded on the both sides of the road. “We have taken this decision to create a pressure on the state government as the government never takes the issue seriously. No we warned the government to take immediate step in this regards or we will continue such blockade days together in future”, president of the Sambalpur Bar Association Pramod Rath said. According to him, the demand of high court bench is a long pending demand. “Earlier government adopted divide and rule policy to delay the issue. But now when lawyer community of the region has united, government is trying to ignore it by shifting the responsibility to the centre,” Rath added.
Earlier on Wednesday the lawyers had closed down the banks and other financial institutions of the town in support of their demand. As a result of which no transaction was possible in banking sectors on Wednesday.