Orissa High Court

Sambalpur, Feb. 20: The central action committee of the West Odisha Bar Association today decided to suspend its ongoing agitation in favour of a separate Orissa High Court bench.

At a meeting in Jharsuguda today, the lawyers decided to let the government offices function from tomorrow. It would also call off the relay hunger strike being staged outside the office of the revenue divisional commissioner, said committee member Sureswar Mishra.

The model code of conduct for the forthcoming general elections will be enforced in a few days. No development can take place once the poll conduct rules come into effect. It is for this reason that the lawyers decided to allow the government offices to function, so that development work in the region was not affected.

“A meeting of the central action committee will be organised on March 15 to decide our future course of action. The agitation will continue. Lawyers across the region will refrain from routine court work. Besides, they will wear black badges,” he said.

“We will continue to protest on the last three working days of every month,” said Mishra.

Since February 3, the lawyers had been paralysing functioning of the state and central government offices, besides the judiciary, across the region demanding establishment of high court bench in west Odisha.