Sambalpur, April 30: Lawyers of the bar association today blocked movement of goods trucks at Ainthpali Chhak, Remed Chhak and Sindupankh Chhak in support of their demand for setting up of a high court bench in western Odisha.

The five-hour economic blockade started at 8am and continued till 1pm.

The lawyers have been protesting on the last three working days of every month. They were closing down the state government offices and courts on the first day of the strike and resorting to cease work on the last two days of their strike.

Now, to make their agitation forceful, they resorted to economic blockade and closed down the state and central government offices, courts, banks and other financial institutions on April 27 and 29.

“We have decided to intensify our agitation to demand for a high court bench in western Odisha. According to the decision of the Central Action Committee of bar associations of western Odisha, we resorted to the economic blockade today. We will continue to resort to economic blockade on the last day of every month,” said secretary of the Sambalpur Bar Association S.S. Sahu.

“We stopped the movement of only those vehicles, which were laden with goods for factories and industries,” said Sahu.

“We have been demanding for a permanent high court bench in western Odisha since long, but the government is apathetic towards our demand. We have been protesting on the last three days of the month for more than four years,” he said.

“We also demand abolition of the Pal commission, which was formed to submit a report on the justification of the demand of a high court bench in western Odisha. Moreover, we want the state government to send a resolution to the Centre about set up of a permanent high court bench in western Odisha,” he said.

Lawyers from across the western Odisha had also gheraoed the office of the revenue divisional commissioner (north) on March 25, demanding the bench in western Odisha.