Balasore: Even as people in western and southern Odisha have long been batting for a high court bench in their regions, lawyers boycotted the court Wednesday in Balasore over the issue.
Lawyers led by president of the local Bar Association, Niranjan Panda shouted slogan in front of the district sessions court clamouring for HC bench in the district.
The lawyers pointed out that the region has all the criteria and infrastructure for an HC bench because the number of cases in Balasore is quite higher than those in all other courts in Odisha.
They also added that the people of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar will have no problem in commuting to Balasore.
People have long been demanding an HC bench in Balasore. Memoranda had earlier been submitted to the high court and the state government in this regard.
“It is unfortunate that the people of north Odisha have been deprived of an HC bench despite Balasore having all necessary infrastructure. Balasore is the right place in view of various factors. Balasore Bar Association is the oldest one in the state. The people of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar can reach easily,” he argued.
A number of functionaries of the Bar Association including its general secretary Sandip Nandi, executive member Prabhat Kumar Das, Jitendra Upadhyay, Snehalata Das, Pinakhi Dheer, Kishore Ballabh Das, Bhabesh Mohapatra, Ranjit Panda, Annapurna Rout, Manas Agasti, Surya Kar, Raghunath Mahalik, Radhakant Mohapatra, Bailochan Das and Guruprasad Behera took part in the boycott protest.
PNN