Kalahandi Bar steps up demand for HC bench

The New Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), Sept. 14, 2013

The agitation over the demand for a High Court bench in Kalahandi, spearheaded by the Bar Association, is intensifying. Displaying a rare show of solidarity, all political parties have joined  hands. A bandh will be held on September 16 in the district to press for the demand. The whole of Western Odisha is in fact on the boil over the issue.

At the initiative of the Bar, all the political parties and several other organisations held a meeting on Thursday and decided to step up the demand which, they maintained, is justifiable from all points.

All expressed solidarity with the Bar members and declared that the agitation for HC bench, a long pending demand, would be taken to its logical conclusion. The fresh round of agitation in Kalahandi was started on August 23.

Those took part in the meeting included Bar members from different parts of the district, representatives of district citizen forum, merchants association, Sikha Vikas Parishad, bus owners’ association and senior leaders of all political parties. Lok Sabha member Bhakta Charan Das, BJD district vice-president Bhawani Mishra, BJP district president Debendra Mohanty, CPI district secretary Purna Chadra Pradhan, Judhisthir Tandi of Utkal Bharat and Samajwdi Party’s  Siba Hati were also present.

Das said all parties should take up this as common issue in the interest of the district. Besides the  geographical location, Kalahandi is also fulfilling the maximum criteria laid down in the Jaswant Singh committee report, he asserted.

Bar Association president Daitary Pradhan, who chaired the meeting, said considering the distance from High Court, central location of Bhawanipatna in KBK region and the backwardness of the area justify establishment of a bench here.

In the past, the association and various other organisations have put forth their viewpoints before Pal Commission set up by the State Government.

On the occasion, a motorcycle rally was taken out by the Bar members. Similar meetings were also held in Dharamgarh and Kesinga towns of the district.