Lawyers Gherao Khordha Collector’s Office Over ‘Negligence In Duty, Misbehaviour’

Tension erupted at the Collector’s office in Khordha on Tuesday after hundreds of lawyers staged a gherao protesting negligence in duty and misbehaviour by the Sub-Collector and Tehsildar.

The protest march was led by the president of Khordha Bar Association, Ajit Patnaik who submitted a memorandum enlisting all the demands to the Collector.

The lawyers demanded the Collector to intervene at the earliest to address their issues.

They alleged that no legal work is being carried out at the Sub-Collector’s office and the locals are subjected to harassment. Whenever any the lawyers go to the office for any work, the officials, including the Tehsildar and others, misbehave with them, they alleged.

Speaking to the reporters, Patnaik said, “Emergency provisions like Section 144, 133, 107, 145 etc are seldom used here. Moreover, they misbehave with us whenever we accompany the common man in helping to put forth his grievance.”

As reported earlier that although there are a number of government welfare schemes for people with disabilities, they are beyond the reach of the needy in Khurda District.

As many as 11,000 complaints filed by differently-abled people are alleged to have been lying unattended at government offices while the district administration appears to be oblivious about it.

While some of the applicants are still waiting to receive their disability allowance, others have given up hopes for the grants to build homes. But their plight has not drawn much attention, alleged many differently abled people from the district.