This story is from May 17, 2020

NHRC registers complaint against Centre, Odisha for inaction over HC bench in Koraput

NHRC registers complaint against Centre, Odisha for inaction over HC bench in Koraput
CUTTACK: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday registered a fresh complaint of inaction by the Centre and the state over the demand for the establishment of a permanent bench of the Orissa high court in Koraput.
The NHRC registered the complaint (6134/IN/2020) by categorizing the citizens of Koraput as the victim. The complaint has sought payment of compensation and damages worth Rs 20 lakh on account of alleged deficiency in service and misleading of the victim.
On September 10, 2019, the NHRC had directed the chief secretary to take action on a long-pending demand for a high court bench in the Koraput region, within eight weeks, on the basis of a complaint filed by Jeypore-based rights activist and advocate Anup Kumar Patro.
Six months later, he received a letter from the home department, which led him to file a fresh complaint.
In the letter, dated March 19, a deputy secretary said, “I am directed to say that the question of taking a decision in respect of the feasibility and desirability of a place for establishment of a permanent bench of the high court comes within the purview of the Union government. The state has been pursuing the matter with the Union government but the latter has not taken a definite decision.”
Patro’s complaint contends that the people of Koraput region, mostly tribal, poor and illiterate, are deprived of access to justice due to distance from the high court bench in Cuttack. The region, since its bifurcation over two decades ago, constitutes Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Nabarangpur districts.
The high court is located 647 km from Malkangiri, 550 km from Koraput, 512 km from Nabarangpur and 431 km from Rayagada. While the minimum time to travel to Cuttack by road from these places is 12 hours, the cost is as high as Rs 800 on one side.
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