Bhubaneswar: The week-long "warning week" agitation began in west Odisha on Monday paralysing functioning of central and state government offices, financial and banking institutions following picketing by lawyers and local residents to demand setting up of a bench of Orissa High Court in the region.

The Central Action Committee (CAC), a body of advocates of west Odisha spearheading the agitation for establishment of the high court bench, has given the call for the week-long agitation.

Lawyers, along with members of various socio-cultural associations and trade unions, prevented entry of officials, including the district magistrates, to their offices. As a result of the agitation, central and state government offices did not open in the district headquarters towns of Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Sonepur, Bhawanipatna, Boudh and Nuapada.

Leaders of various political parties, organisations and trade unions extended their support to the demand at a meeting organised on the court premises in Sambalpur.

"The warning week will continue till February 24 and after that the CAC will meet to decide on the future course of agitation," bar president Atanu Ghosh said.

Revenue divisional commissioner, northern division, D.V. Swami invited the CAC members for a discussion on Friday, but it was rejected.

The CAC, comprising representatives of 28 bar associations of 11 west Odisha districts, was formed in 2006 to intensify the agitation. In 2013, advocates of Sambalpur Bar Association had boycotted courts for 42 days.

However, in Balangir offices functioned as usual with lawyers not joining the agitation. In Bargarh courts did not function but the lawyers allowed officials to work in view of the Bijepur bypoll.

President of Balangir Bar Association Radhakanta Mahakud said they demanded the bench to be set up in their town. He said: "Balangir enjoyed high court bench during the days of the Raj and even today Balangir district judge has been empowered as the ex-officio registrar of the high court. This is a genuine demand and the agitation will continue till we have the high court bench here."

Balangir lawyers will be agitating in front of Balangir collectorate on February 23.

In another development, the Rourkela Bar Association has passed a resolution to boycott the court proceedings till February 24 alleging that their seven-point charter of demands had not been fulfilled despite repeated requests.

With inputs from Subhas Panigrahi in Sambalpur, Rajesh Mohanty in Rourkela and Sudeep Kumar Guru in Balangir