New Delhi: Following the orders of the Supreme Court, the state government, in consultation with Orissa High Court, has created concurrent jurisdiction in the adjacent districts for the relief of litigants residing in places affected by the lawyers’ strike.
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, it has been submitted that the concurrent jurisdiction of the courts of all cadres under judgeship of Deogarh shall be conferred upon the respective cadres of courts under Keonjhar judgeship and the concurrent jurisdiction of all cadres courts under Jharsuguda headquarters and Lakhanpur shall be conferred upon the respective courts of all cadres under Sundargarh judgeship.
The HC has conferred concurrent jurisdiction of the courts of all cadres under Sambalpur judgeship upon the respective courts of all cadres under Bargarh HQ station while the concurrent jurisdiction of the courts of all cadres under Sonepur judgeship shall be conferred upon the respective courts of all cadres under Boudh judgeship.
“The concurrent jurisdiction of the courts of District and Session judge, Additional District and Sessions Judge an Special Court under POCSO Act, Special Court under (SC&ST) PoA Act and Special Court NDPS Act Bolangir is now conferred upon the Court of Additional District and Session Judge, Titalgarh. The Additional District and Session Judge, Titalgarh shall exercise jurisdiction of the above courts,” the affidavit said.
“So far as the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Bolangir is concerned, concurrent jurisdiction is conferred on the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Titalgarh. The concurrent jurisdiction of the courts of SDJM/Judicial Magistrate First Class, Bolangir and court of JMFC Loisingha is conferred upon the court JMFC Saintala,” reveals the affidavit.
It has also been submitted in the affidavit that the lawyers at Barpali in Bargarh district, Bolangir HQ, Boudh HQ, Sonepur HQ, Birmaharajpur, Rampur, Binika, Tarava, Dunguripali in Sonepur district and at Sundargarh HQ, Rajgangpur, Bonai in Sundargarh district resumed court work, February 12.
However, the cease work continues at number of places in five districts. According to the affidavit, the lawyers have continued cease work at Padampur, Sohela and Attabira in Bargarh district, Loisingha in Bolangir district, Deogarh and Reamal in Deogarh district, Jharsuguda and Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district, Sambalpur, Kuchinda and Rairakhol in Sambalpur district.
It is to be mentioned here that the Supreme Court had, December 6 last year, expressed displeasure over the continuous strike of lawyers’ in some districts and had directed the Orissa High Court to create concurrent jurisdiction to transfer the cases to the adjacent districts.