New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Saturday met Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and submitted a detailed memorandum seeking the establishment of Permanent and/or Circuit Benches of the Orissa High Court for Western and Southern Odisha.
In his statement, the MP said he had the “privilege of meeting” the Union minister, during which he placed the memorandum highlighting long-standing concerns over access to justice in the region.
In a post on X, he noted that citizens from Western and Southern Odisha have, for decades, faced significant geographical and financial difficulties in approaching the principal bench of the High Court in Cuttack. Patra stated that establishing regional benches would help decentralise the judicial process, reduce the burden on litigants, and make legal recourse more inclusive.
The memorandum further stated that the demand for a High Court bench in Western Odisha has existed for several decades and has received support from members of the Bar, public representatives, and citizens across party lines. It also highlighted that tribal and remote districts of Southern Odisha face even greater challenges in accessing the High Court.
Referring to past legal proceedings related to the demand, the submission noted that while the Supreme Court has emphasised institutional discipline and uninterrupted judicial functioning, such observations do not constitute a constitutional bar on the creation of regional benches through the established consultative process involving the judiciary, the State government, and the Union government.
The MP expressed hope that the Union Ministry would give favourable consideration to the long-standing demand of the people of Odisha.
