Odisha Again ‘Caught Napping’, Yet To Submit Complete Proposal For High Court Benches

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is yet to submit a complete proposal for setting up benches of the Orissa High Court in western and southern Odisha, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha on Friday. 

Replying to an unstarred question by MPs Basanta Panda, Saptagiri Ulaka and Sougata Ray, Rijiju said that High Court benches are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and judgment pronounced by the Supreme Court. The process is initiated after the state government submits a complete proposal, including location, necessary expenditure and infrastructural facilities, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court.

“The proposal should also have the consent of the Governor of the concerned state,” he said.

Also Read: Is Odisha Govt Procrastinating On Greenfield Airport At Puri? Check Union Reply

The Union Minister further said that the Odisha government had requested for setting up of Orissa High Court benches in the western and southern regions. “The central government had requested the state government to work out details of the proposed bench, including its location in consultation with High Court of Orissa. However, no response has been received yet,” he said.

No complete proposal regarding setting up of bench (es) of Orissa High Court is pending with the government, he added.

In September 2018, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had demanded establishment of permanent benches of the HC in southern and western Odisha to mitigate the inconvenience faced by the litigants, amid protests and dharnas by the lawyers.

In January 2019, he again wrote to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, urging him to take a call on creating separate benches in view of the unrelenting agitation by the people.

In February this year, Prasad had said that the Centre will initiate the process after receiving a complete proposal on the location and jurisdiction of the proposed High Court benches, the land required for the construction of the building and the residential area for the Judges with the consent of the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court and the Governor.