It has been over two years that V. Gopala Gowda has taken over as Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court.
In a brief interview with The Hindu , Mr. Gowda shared his experience of working in Odisha.
Mr. Gowda was here to inaugurate the two-day Regional Advocates' Conference organised by the Karnataka Bar Council and the Mangalore Bar Association on Sunday.
How has been your work as Chief Justice been in the last two years?
I am very happy with my work. I have been touring a lot of areas in Odisha and understanding their problems. People here appreciate the good work. There are many things that I need to do there.
What has been your experience of moving around Odisha?
There are some areas in the State that have been difficult. The difficulties there are not much different from what I have seen here. My experience in Karnataka has helped me a lot in understanding the problems in Odisha. I have been drawing the attention of the Odisha Government towards the problems.
What is the role the Odisha Legal Services Authority is playing?
The members of the Legal Services Authority have been moving around to generate awareness about women's rights and children's rights. We have been visiting the short stay homes and seeing the working on the Juvenile Justice Act. Members have been visiting Shishu Vihars. Recently, we had a camp in a remote village in Kalahandi district. We have a mobile Legal Literacy vehicle that has been moving to different parts of the State.
What are the other development works that have been taken up?
Recently a district court was established in the tribal area of Nabaranpur. We are also coming up with a new building for Odisha Judicial Academy which will provide accommodation for 250 people.
Have you been able to get time off to visit Karnataka?
It has been difficult to get time off the work. It's events like this (Regional Conference) that provide an opportunity to visit Karnataka.
