High Court bench in South Odisha: Ganjam Bar Association members block roads in Berhampur

Members of the Ganjam Bar Association blocked the roads in front of the Berhampur court on August 30 as part of their continuing agitation for the demand of establishment of a permanent bench of the Odisha High Court in the city. They also handed over a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division.

Through the memorandum, they urged the Chief Minister to immediately request the Central government for establishment of a permanent bench of the Odisha High Court in Berhampur. The lawyers of the Ganjam Bar Association also requested the CM to hold a meeting with the representatives of the bar association over the issue.

During their road blockade and demonstration, the agitating lawyers shouted slogans against the Justice C.R.Pal Commission calling for its withdrawal.

This single member judicial commission had been set up by the Odisha government through a notification made in March 2008 to enquire and investigate into the demands for permanent benches of Odisha High Court in South and Western Odisha. It was to furnish its report in six months but till now it has not come up with any interim report also.

The agitating lawyers alleged that in the name of this commission the decision on the demand for establishment of permanent bench of Odisha High Court for south Odisha in Berhampur was being delayed. President of the Ganjam Bar Association Kapileswar Patnaik Sadi said that they were planning to intensify their democratic agitation with support of people, which would also include road blockade and bandh calls.

A senior lawyer of Ganjam Bar Association, P.J.Padhi said hearing by a bench of Odisha High Court in Berhampur had occurred during the British era. According to him on January 4, 1937, then justice of High Court had held circuit court in Berhampur, which hinted that this city was considered suitable for a bench of the High Court for south Odisha even during the British era. Agitating lawyers shout slogans against Justice C.R. Pal Commission. Source: The Hindu 

Ganjam Bar Association to intensify stir for permanent High Court bench in South Odisha at Berhampur

Members of Ganjam Bar Association took out a bike rally in Berhampur as part of their plan to intensify their continuing stir for the demand of establishment of a permanent bench of Odisha High Court for South Odisha in Berhampur city.

All senior lawyers of the bar association, including its past office bearers led this bike rally. The bike rally started from the Berhampur court premises and traveled around the city to re-strengthen public support for the demand for establishment of High Court bench. President of the Ganjam Bar Association Kapileswar Patnaik said this rally was aimed at increasing public awareness regarding this genuine demand.

The lawyers of the Ganjam Bar Association claimed that Berhampur, as per the norms put forward by Jaswant Singh Commission report regarding establishment of High Court benches, was the most suitable place for a permanent bench of Odisha High Court. “As per the Yashwant Singh Commission report a permanent bench of the High Court should be established in revenue divisional headquarters and Berhampur and Sambalpur are divisional headquarters. Moreover Berhampur has all infrastructural facilities for proper functioning of a bench of the High Court,” said senior lawyers of the Bar Association.

Conspiracy

President of Ganjam Bar Association came down sharply on this mushrooming demand for establishment of demand for High Court bench from different places of south Odisha. “I feel the sudden mushrooming of such demands from different places may be a conspiracy to weaken the issue of establishment of High Court benches in different revenue divisions of the State,” Mr. Patnaik said.

As per the Ganjam Bar Association, their demand for establishment of permanent bench of Odisha High Court in Berhampur had started in 1985 and their demand was older than that of Sambalpur Bar Association of western Odisha. Although during past decades there were no such demands for establishment of High Court benches in any other part of south Odisha, all of a sudden such demands have started to crop up, which makes us smell something fishy, said Mr Patnaik. Source: The Hindu 

Airports Authority of India (AAI) team visits sites for Berhampur Airport

Source: The Sambad

The Telegraph

A four-member team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) arrived in the state to carry out a feasibility study for the proposed low-cost airport in Berhampur.  The team surveyed Rangeilunda and Ramchandrapur on the Berhampur-Gopalpur road to understand the local conditions for the possible air traffic movement.

The AAI team first visited the existing Rangeilunda airstrip on Berhampur University campus. It may be noted that the airstrip is active since past several decades. The airstrip spread over 40 acres of land was built during the British era during the World War II. It is now maintained by the State Public Works Department. At Rangeilunda airstrip, the AAI team held discussion with Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy, executive engineer of public works department and other district officials. They studied whether the Rangeilunda airstrip could be developed into the proposed low-cost airport by adding up extra land to its south and west directions, said Mr. Panigrahy. The Gopalpur MLA said once the AAI finalises the site, the State government would provide all possible assistance for establishment of the airport near Berhampur. 

Later, the team reached Ramchandrapur to inspect around 300 acres of land that has been earmarked for the proposed low-cost airport. Speaking to newsmen, members of the AAI team said they would assess the cost-benefit ratio as well as feasibility of both sites and send their report to their authorities for the final decision.

“We have studied every detail of the situation at both the places, including the existing Rangeilunda airstrip and Ramchandrapur village, nearby. We will submit our feasibility report to the AAI for a final decision,” said the joint general manager (planning) of AAI P.K. Mahapatra, who led the team.

The PWD executive engineer, who is in-charge of the Rangeilunda airstrip, said: “The length of the present runway is 895 meters, which is insufficient for take-off and landing of commercial aircraft. The AAI is insisting on 3,500m long and 500m wide runway. There are now 150 acres of land at Rangeilunda airstrip. We can acquire another 200 acres in the nearby areas as required by the AAI for opening a small airport.’’

It may be noted that the Central government has taken a decision for setting up 51 low-cost airports in Tier-II and Tier-III cities in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. Three of them will be set up in the State in places like Berhampur, Rourkela, and Keonjhar. The four-member AAI team will also visit the two other sites for the proposed low-cost airports in the State. Sources: The Hindu, The Pioneer & The Telegraph

Source: ORISSA POST

Tara Tarini development plans reviewed

The Sambad