Odisha lawyers join 2-day strike called by BCI

Lawyers of all the bar associations in Odisha, including that of Orissa High Court, joined the two-day nationwide demonstrations in response to a call given by the Bar Council of India (BCI).

The State Bar Council last week had decided to extend its support to the BCI and accordingly it requested all the lawyers of the state to join the February 11 and 12 agitations in protest against alleged indifferent attitude of the Union government towards the cause of the lawyers.

As part of the nationwide protest, lawyers in Odisha took out rallies from their respective bars, marched towards the offices of district collectors and tehsildars in their areas and submitted memoranda addressed to the Prime Minister, said State Bar Council, chairman, Tahali Charan Mohanty.

Lawyers of Orissa High Court and other bars located here also took out a rally and submitted the memorandum to Cuttack district collector. Cuttack lawyers along with their colleagues of Bhubaneswar will also submit a copy of the memorandum to the state Governor on Tuesday.

Among others, the lawyers are demanding better infrastructural facilities for courts across the country and a budgetary allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for financial protection, stipend and insurance cover for lawyers and their families. The lawyers are also demanding amendment to the Legal Services Authority Act so as to allow lawyers to head the authorities.