SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 29: Lawyers in Dhanbad on Thursday began an indefinite pen-down strike demanding a permanent court entrance and proper parking arrangements for advocates and litigants within the court premises.
More than 5,000 practising lawyers, under the banner of the Dhanbad Bar Association, assembled inside the court campus as per their pre-announced programme and launched the strike. The lawyers stated that the agitation would continue until a permanent solution for vehicle parking is provided.
Temporary Entrance Closed, Lawyers Protest
Dhanbad Bar Association General Secretary Jitendra Kumar said the strike was unavoidable after the Sadar Hospital management and district administration closed the temporary entrance to the court by constructing a wall.
He added that lawyers and litigants coming daily from different parts of the district are facing severe difficulties due to the lack of a proper parking system. With the temporary route blocked, access to the court premises has become extremely inconvenient, forcing lawyers to adopt the path of agitation.
SDM Assures Solution After DC’s Return
Later in the afternoon, Dhanbad SDM Lokesh Barange met Bar Association officials and senior lawyers. He assured them that after the return of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Aditya Ranjan, a meeting involving lawyers, the district administration, and the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation would be held to find a permanent solution to the issues of court entrance and vehicle parking.
The SDM said he agreed with the lawyers’ demands but clarified that implementation would be possible only after the DC’s return.
Lawyers Demand Written Assurance
However, the agitating lawyers said they would call off the strike only after receiving a written assurance from the district administration.
“Earlier too, verbal assurances were given, but the issue remains unresolved. Therefore, the pen-down strike will continue until a written assurance is provided,” said General Secretary Jitendra Kumar.
Bar Association President Radheshyam Goswamy, General Secretary Jitendra Kumar, senior advocate Brajendra Prasad Singh, and advocates Videsh Daa, Uday Bhatt, Abhay Bhatt, along with other lawyers, were present during the meeting with the SDM.