In a move that could delay the process of setting up of a high court (HC) bench in western or southern districts of Odisha, the Centre has asked the state government to get the consent of the Chief Justice of HC for such a proposal.
Union law minister Kapil Sibal, in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said that consent of Chief Justice of Odisha High Court is must for approval of such a proposal.
On September 28, Patnaik had written to Sibal requesting his to consider a proposal for creation of permanent benches of HC in southern and western parts of the state.
The state government's proposal followed agitations by lawyers from these areas in support of the demand.
In his reply to the chief minister, Sibal also sought to know the specific locations of the two benches of the HC.
The state government must indicate the availability of land and other resources for infrastructure and other facilities required for establishment of the HC benches, he added.
The Union minister mentioned that he has already forwarded the letter of Patnailk to Odisha Chief Justice.
Demand for a permanent HC bench in remote western part of the state intensified late August this year as lawyers picketed government offices and paralysed normal life with relay fasting and strikes, forcing the state election commission to suspend municipal elections in the areas and compelling the state government to take a decision on the issue.
As the protests received widespread support, lawyers of southern and northern Odisha also started demanding a HC bench in their respective areas, putting the state government in a fix in a poll bound year.
Finally, the state government decided to set aside the Pal Commission report which was against the proposal of setting up a bench in western Odisha and wrote to the Union government to consider a proposal for setting up HC benches in western and southern parts of the state without mentioning particular location or district where it should be established.
