Orissa High Court lawyers to continue cease-work till October 30

Cuttack: The on-going standoff between lawyers and police is yet to ease as the agitating lawyers’ under the aegis of Orissa High Court Bar Association on Friday decided to continue their cease-work till October 30.

A decision to continue the strike was taken at the general body meeting, informed High Court Bar Association general secretary, Satyabrat Mohanty.

“We have been staging peaceful protest for the last 60 days and so far the State government has not shown any inclination to hold discussions. We have decided to burn the effigy of CM Naveen Patnaik in front of 164 Bar associations across Odisha on October 31. A decision in this regard will be finalised in the next general body meeting scheduled to be held on October 30,” Mohanty added.

It is noteworthy that lawyers across Odisha have boycotted court proceedings as part of their on-going cease work agitation since August 28 in protest of assault on an advocate by police personnel in Cuttack.

As a result of the on-going strike, people as well as other litigants are facing numerous problems in getting several judicial works done. Moreover, the jail administration is also feeling the pinch as lawyers' stir has resulted in overcrowding of prisons across Odisha.