Cuttack: The Odisha High Court Bar Association on Tuesday decided to boycott court work for two days from tomorrow in protest against the decision of the state government to abolish the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).
The Association would decide on its future course of action at its general body meeting tomorrow.
It may be mentioned that the agitating lawyers of the SAT Bar Association of the twin city, supported by the Bhubaneswar Bar Association, had a scuffle with the police near the State Assembly on Monday protesting the decision of the Odisha government to abolish the Tribunal.
Supporting the demand of the lawyers, senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra had assured themtaht he would take up their issue in the State Assembly and urged the government to reconsider its decision and allow the Tribunal to continue as before respecting the sentiments of the lawyers.
It may be mentioned that the State Cabinet in September this year had approved a proposal to abolish all benches of SAT. The Tribunal was established in July, 1986 to provide speedy justice to aggrieved government employees.
Upset with the cabinet approval, lawyers across the state had launched massive agitation paralysing judicial activities, including the Orissa High Court.
The Bar Council of Odisha stepped in after a fortnight and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister on September 28 urging him to recall the decision.
But the state government has not yet responded to the memorandum of the Bar Council following which the lawyers practicing in the Tribunal later decided to approach the High Court lawyers to take up their cause.
While only eight states, including Odisha, had established SAT in the country, three of them have already abolished it since long.