Bhubaneswar, (Reporters Pen): Sept 2: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi today told the Assembly that there is no justification for establishing a bench of the Orissa High Court in any part of the state. He made this statement in response to a query from BJD MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo regarding the possibility of setting up a circuit bench in Balangir.
The Chief Minister cited a Supreme Court verdict, asserting that there is no legal basis for having a High Court bench outside Cuttack. Singh Deo had highlighted that Balangir previously had a High Court bench before Independence and argued that it would be reasonable for the state and central governments to restore this facility.
Contrary to the Chief Minister’s stance, BJP’s Sambalpur MLA Jaynarayan Mishra maintained that their demand for a High Court bench in western Odisha remains unchanged. Mishra questioned why Odisha, with its growing population and increasing case load, could not have a High Court bench like Uttar Pradesh and other states.
Congress legislator C.S. Raazen Ekka criticized the current government, recalling that the previous BJD administration failed to establish a bench despite years of demand. Ekka noted that although CM Majhi, who once supported the cause, is now in power, he has not addressed the issues faced by people in western Odisha who still rely heavily on Cuttack for legal matters.
