West Odisha gears up for Koshal state fight

The New Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), Aug 25, 2013

The breakdown of talks between the Central Action Committee (CAC) of All Western Odisha Bar Association and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to resolve the High Court bench issue has reinforced the movement for separate Koshal state.

Around 122 organisations have pledged their support to the fight for Koshal state comprising 10 districts of western Odisha besides Athamallik sub-division of Angul district and Western Odisha bandh over the demand on August 26.

Chairman of Advisory Council of Koshal Kranti Dal (KKD) Pramod Mishra said several organisations have expressed their solidarity with the cause and would join the body. Formation of a separate state was the only solution left to remove the regional bias and imbalances, Mishra observed.

Normal Life hit by Balangir bandh

Normal life here was affected by the dawn-to-dusk bandh called in support of the demand for setting up a High Court bench in Balangir on Saturday.

Government offices, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed while bus services were disrupted. Merchants’ Association had given the bandh call in support of the HC bench demand of the lawyers. Similar reports were received from Patnagarh, Kantabanji, Titlagarh and Sindhekela.

Lawyers demand Bench in Kalahandi

Continuing their agitation over the demand for High Court bench in Kalahandi, the members of the Kalahandi Bar Association picketed in front of Bhawanipatna Municipality and NACs of Junagarh and Kesinga.

Due to the agitation on Saturday, work in banks and State Government offices was paralysed and nomination paper for Municipality and NAC elections could not be filed.

Justifying their demand, the members of Kalahandi Bar Association said the bench should be set up in Kalahandi as it fulfils the norms and criteria prescribed by the Jaswant Singh Committee. 

Considering the distance of Kalahandi from the Orissa High Court at Cuttack and Kalahandi being the centrally located area of the KBK region, the bench should be set up in the district, they added.