No Proposal From Odisha Yet For Establishment Of HC Benches: Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi: A detailed plan for the establishment of Orissa High Court benches, including their placement in conjunction with the HC, has not yet been given by the Odisha government, Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju stated in a written response to a question posed by Koraput MP, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Rijiju stated that several organisations, including the state government of Odisha, have occasionally requested the establishment of High Court benches outside of its principal seat.

According to him, the Odisha government has asked for the establishment of Orissa High Court benches in the state’s western and southern regions.

“The Central government has requested the state government of Odisha to work out details of proposed benches including their location in consultation with the High Court of Orissa. However, no response has been received yet,” said the Law Minister.

He stated that no detailed request from the Odisha government on the establishment of a High Court bench is currently pending with the Centre.

When asked about the standards for establishing High Court benches, Rijiju stated that the standards are determined by the judgement rendered by the Apex Court in W.P.(C) No. 379 of 2000 and the suggestions provided by the Jaswant Singh Commission.

In order to provide the necessary funding and infrastructure, the state government must submit a comprehensive proposal after consulting with the relevant High Court’s chief justice, who is responsible for overseeing the High Court’s daily operations.

The Governor of the relevant state should also approve the full proposal, he added.

Notably, lawyers from many regions of the state have been calling for the establishment of an HC bench in their region, including Sambalpur in western Odisha and Berhampur in south Odisha.