The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Lawyers step up stir for High Court Bench

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Friday, Oct 12, 2007
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Lawyers step up stir for High Court Bench

Staff Reporter

Boycott courts in several districts in South Orissa

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

IN PROTEST MODE: Lawyers preventing district judge Satrughna Pujahari from entering the court premises in Berhampur on Thursday. —

BERHAMPUR: Members of Bar associations of eight districts of South Orissa boycotted courts on Thursday, seeking establishment of a High Court Bench in Berhampur.

Sudhansu Sekhar Panda, president of the Ganjam Bar Association that is spearheading the agitation, said it was the beginning of the peaceful means of protest by lawyers to bring pressure on the government and legal authorities to accept the “genuine demand.”

Action panel

Members of the association staged a demonstration in front of the court building, shouting slogans in support of their demand.

To chalk out their future course, an action committee of South Orissa Lawyers’ Association would hold a meeting on October 28.

The committee comprises 116 members of 29 Bar associations of Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nowrangpur, Kandhamal and Boudh districts.

Meanwhile, most of the Bar associations in the region passed resolutions in favour of the demand, said Manoj Patnaik, secretary of the Ganjam Bar Association.

It may be recalled that the demand for a High Court Bench to cater to the southern parts of the State was long-pending

When the State was carved out on linguistic basis in 1936, there was a demand for establishment of a Circuit Bench in Berhampur for the benefit of the southern region.

Mass agitations, including Berhampur bandh, were organised without any avail.

The Ganjam Bar Association renewed the demand and was striving to achieve it by roping in lawyers hailing from South Orissa.

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