Cuttack, Jan. 7: Members of the central action committee of all bar associations of west Odisha today met Chief Justice of Orissa High Court and reiterated their demand for a permanent bench in their region.

The committee, in a memorandum, said: 'The bar associations of western Odisha demand for immediate establishment of a permanent bench of the high court at any place within the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) area'.

'Chief Justice Amitava Roy gave a patient hearing to our demand in his chamber and assured to examine and expedite the matter. We demanded location of the permanent bench at any place within the WODC area according to the guidelines enumerated in the Jaswant Singh Commission report,' central action committee convener Ashok Kumar Dash told The Telegraph today.

The WODC area consists of 10 districts - Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Bargarh, Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada and Kalahandi.

Earlier on November 4, 2013, the committee had met the then Chief Justice A.K. Goel and submitted a similar memorandum.

'Our basic contention is that a final decision on the location ofthe permanent bench needs to be taken immediately as the state government has already recommended to the central government to establish it in western Odisha and Southern Odisha and the central government on its part has sought the views of the Chief Justice,' Dash said.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had on September 23, 2013, sent a proposal letter to the Centre for establishment of permanent benches of Orissa High Court in west and south Odisha.

The then Union law minister Kapil Sibal had on October 23, 2013, forwarded Naveen's letter to the chief justice 'to examine the case and send his views'. Further action would be taken 'as per the response from the high court', the law minister had indicated in his reply to Naveen's letter.

Sibal had also sought from Naveen 'the specific location' of the two benches of Orissa High Court proposed by him, including 'availability of land and resources for infrastructure, staff and other facilities'.

But on February 13, 2014 Naveen shot off another letter to the Union minister for law and justice to take a favourable decision regarding setting up of a high court bench in west Odisha.