Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Now Kalahandi joins demand for HC bench

The New Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), Sept 4, 3013
The demand for establishment of a permanent bench of the High Court has spread to more places with Kalahandi district joining the bandwagon.
A delegation of BJD leaders from Kalahandi, led by former minister and Kalahandi district president Balabhadra Majhi, on Tuesday met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Nivas and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
Claiming that Kalahandi district has the required infrastructure and other facilities for setting up of High Court bench, the delegation demanded that immediate steps should be initiated in this regard. The delegation is reported to have been assured by the Chief Minister that their demand will be considered.
A delegation of Congress leaders, comprising former MP Sriballav Panigrahi and party leader Narendra Mishra, submitted a memorandum to Governor S C Jamir demanding immediate establishment of High Court bench in Western Odisha.
The Congress leaders referred to the constitutional crisis because of boycott of polls in nine Western Odisha districts and urged the Governor to direct the State Government to initiate measures as per the Jaswant Singh Commission’s recommendation.
They requested the Governor to scrap the Pal Commission set up by the State Government six years ago to identify places for setting up of High Court bench basing on the recommendation of the Jaswant Singh Commission.
The commission, which was scheduled to submit its report within six months, is yet to do so even after six years, they said.
The two leaders also criticised the State Government for not sending a recommendation to the Centre on establishment of the HC bench despite assurances by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then law minister Veerappa Moily.
Meanwhile, the State Government has already requested the Pal Commission to submit its report within the next two months. The time limit of the commission will expire on December 31, 2013.
The Chief Minister had assured in a statement in the Assembly during the monsoon session that recommendation of the State Government does not depend on submission of report by the Pal Commission.

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