Replying to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s letter for permanent Benches of the Orissa High Court in western and southern Odisha, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has asked the State Government to send detailed proposals with selection of land and Bench management expenses.

In his letter to the Centre on September 5, Chief Minister Patnaik had only reiterated his stand taken in his earlier letter in 2013. However, a decision can be taken by the Centre only after receipt of full-fledged proposals from the State Government, said BJP national secretary Suresh Pujari while speaking to mediapersons here on Wednesday.

The State remained silent by not responding to the Centre with detailed proposals as advised by the Union Law Minister in response to the letter of the Chief Minister in 2013. Without such proposals, simple letters requesting for High Court Benches would not serve any fruitful purpose. If the State Government is really serious then the Chief Minister should approach the Centre along with opposition parties and agitating lawyers’ associations and taking opinion of the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court, said Pujari.

Pujari said further that he is astonished about the inability of  the State Government in submitting any opinion of the High Court Chief Justice relying on the Pal Commission report.

The State Government is intentionally delaying the matter by not sending full-fledged proposals to the Centre and only blaming others on the issue.

Among others, Brajrajnagar MLA Radha Rani Panda and senior BJP leaders Dinesh Jain, Simanchal Khatai and Mangal Sahoo were present at the Press conference.