No Proposal Yet From State Govt To Setup New Bench Of Orissa HC: Law Minister

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Centre on Tuesday clarified that there is no complete proposal for setting up a permanent bench of the High Court in Odisha with the government of India.

Responding to a query by BJP MP Suresh Pujari during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju cleared the air, informing the House that Odisha is yet to submit a detailed proposal for the same.

The State government had demanded benches in western and southern Odisha, but has not given any detailed proposal yet, he said.

“We had asked the State government to discuss the matter with High Court and give a complete proposal. I have written a letter in this regard since April, but there has been no response so far. The Centre will take action if the complete proposal comes with the consent of the High Court,” the Law Minister said.

Earlier in December, the Minister had also replied to the House regarding the status while Koraput MP (Congress) Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka had raised the issue in Lok Sabha.

Rijiju said the benches are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and judgment pronounced by the Apex Court in W.P.(C) No. 379 of 2000.

The state government which has to provide necessary expenditure and infrastructural facilities need to submit a complete proposal in consultation with the chief justice of the High Court concerned which is required to look after the day-to-day administration of the High Court.