SAMBALPUR: THE Central Action Committee (CAC) of All Western Odisha Bar Association (AWOBA) has resolved to intensify the ongoing agitation over establishment of High Court bench in western Odisha. This was decided at a meeting of the CAC held here on Monday.
The lawyers have been agitating over the demand and paralysing functioning of courts since September 5. The CAC members also resolved to paralyse functioning of all State and Central Government offices across the region from November 19 to 30. It was decided that a 48-hour Mahabandh will be observed across the region on November 29 and 30. Convener of the CAC Ashok Dash said if they receive any positive response from the State Government before November 29, they will reconsider the decision to observe the Mahabandh.
On September 5, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to the Union Government for establishment of the High Court benches in western and southern Odisha. Following this, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a letter to Naveen on September 10 asked the Odisha Government to send a comprehensive proposal with the consent of the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court for setting up the benches.
The Chief Minister had given a proposal to the Chief Justice to establish HC bench in Sambalpur of western Odisha and Berhampur of Southern Odisha on November 8, 2007. The CAC approved the name of the place, which was proposed by the Chief Minister in 2007, for the purpose on Monday.
The CAC members demanded the State Government to submit a comprehensive proposal with the name of the place to Union Government at the earliest. The territorial jurisdiction of the bench will be entire western Odisha as defined in the Western Odisha Development Council Act, Dash said.The CAC will convene a meeting at Birmaharajpur in Subarnapur district on December 16 to decide next course of action.