CC: The Honorable President, Mr. Mukherjee
The Honorable Prime Minister, Dr Singh
The Honorable Chief Minister, Mr Patnaik
Dear Honorable Law Minister, Mr. Sibal,
In response to the letter written by Odisha Chief Minister (CM) to you regarding establishing two high court benches in South and Western Odisha respectively, I draw your attention that the honorable CM of Odisha has justified the same citing Nuapada is 575 km and Malkangiri is 647 km from the principal seat of the high court in Odisha, based in Cuttack.
However, the CM did not clarify that Malkangiri is at least 445 km away from Berhampur that CM intentionally wants to appease for a HC bench for South Odisha. Another backward district Nabarangpur is located 400 km or more from Berhampur. Berhampur is located in the neighbouring district of state capital and having best road and train communication so far in the state to link within 195 km from Cuttack. If high court bench in Cuttack is unable to serve people in Berhampur region, then Odisha at least need 15 high court benches across the state. For your information, the communication between Berhampur and Cuttack is outstanding compared to between Malkangiri and Berhampur. Same rational goes on excellent communication between Cuttack and Sambalpur compared to Nuapada and Sambalpur.
The CM’s letter is only a political appeasement. Technically the CM of Odisha perhaps wants to avoid genuine requirement of Odisha to divert the demand of remote and backward locations in KBK region.
The present proposal largely meant to suit for CM’s home district and his political ambition.
A genuine demand for Odisha is a high court bench for KBK region, to serve the backward and far off locations comprising Nuapada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi and other districts. Even if the CM felt two HC benches are required, he should rather have emphasised to established one of them in KBK region. It is unfortunate for a CM, who keeps advocating development of tribal and backward locations like KBK region.
First of all, KBK region in general fulfils majority of the Jaswant commission’s recommendations.
Secondly, Bhawanipatna is the central town in KBK, which is convenient to Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, etc.
Thirdly, location wise Bhawanipatna also takes the interest of majority of Southern Odisha districts like Gajapati, Kandhamal and Boudh.
Fourthly, for the whole western bordering Odisha, from Motu in Malkangiri district to Balijod in Sundergarh district, Kesinga-Madanpur Rampur region of Kalahandi district would be an ideal and central location to meet the requirement of Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Gajapati etc in South Odisha to Jharsuguda, Sundergarh, Deogarh etc in Western Odisha.
Fifthly, both West Bengal and Bihar having higher population than Odisha and do not have any additional high court bench besides their respective principal seat of the high court. In this regard, recommendation of two high court benches by Odisha’s CM seems political and does not to be practical solution. It rather serves to dilute the requirement in KBK.
Thus, I wish no politics will be played and a high court bench should be located in Bhawanipatna for KBK region based on various Jaswant Singh commission’s recommendations that fulfils the requirement of Malkangiri and Nuapada as well as other districts in KBK, which are far from the principal seat of the high court in Odisha, based in Cuttack.
I hope you will seriously take into account rather than bringing politics into it.
Thank you and best regards
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