Lawyers call for 12-hr Rourkela bandh demanding establishment of HC bench

Rourkela: While demand for setting up of a permanent High Court bench in western Odisha is intensifying, lawyers in the steel city today took to streets demanding establishment of the HC bench and special district status to the city.

Hundreds of lawyers of Rourkela Bar Association protested at various places of the city including the main entry point Panposh chhak and Bisra chhak by burning tyres.

Following the protest, hundreds of vehicles were reportedly stranded majorly affecting students and office goers.

According to sources, members of the Rourkela Bar Association had been observing three day cease work every month for quite some time.

“It has been our long-standing demands for recognising the city as a special revenue district by combining Bonai sub-division and Rourkela Panposh sub-division. But the government has not been accepting our demands so we have resorted to strike,” president of Rourkela Bar Association, Satya Sharma said.

Speaking on the issue, former bar association president Ramesh Bal said, “People from all walks of life have supported the agitation and we will continue the protest till our demands are not met."