Jalpaiguri and the rest of north Bengal celebrated the fulfilment of a demand more than half-a-century old after the high court bench was operationalised here on Saturday.

Hundreds swarmed the venue where chief minister Mamata Banerjee, governor K.N. Tripathi and Calcutta High Court Acting Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder did the honours for the bench. Scores watched the ceremony live on giant screens put up at key crossings. The bench will start functioning from Monday.

“It is like a dream come true. The demand to set up the bench is over 50 years old and people from all walks of life had organised movements for it time and again,” said Kamal Krishna Banerjee, a senior lawyer and representative of the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench Dabi Aday O Sarbik Unnayan Samannoy Committee, a forum that has campaigned four decades for the bench to be set up.

On Saturday evening, Jalpaiguri was decked with lights. Across town and on roads leading to Jalpaiguri, hundreds of festoons and banners were put by Trinamul and state agencies thanking the chief minister.

“We still remember the days when people used to stand beside roads and welcome chief justices, judges and other members of the judiciary with flowers. There are hundreds, from lawyers to businessmen to commoners, who have contributed in their own ways to ensure the bench is set up here. Many who had put in efforts have passed away. Now their aspirations have been met,” said Gautam Pal, another senior Jalpaiguri lawyer.

Some felt the celebrations had been muted a bit by the ongoing Higher Secondary examinations. “Every resident is in a mood to celebrate but as the exams are in progress, we must act responsibly and do not indulge in activities that affect the studies of children,” said Pradip Dutta, a resident.

The joy spread beyond Jalpaiguri. “We have had to go to Calcutta for cases in the high court. Now, we will have to travel only 45km to Jalpaiguri. It is a great day for north Bengal residents,” said Avrajyoti Das, a young lawyer in Siliguri.

The bench is also seen a booster for the economy of the region. “Lawyers from Calcutta and neighbouring districts are already in Jalpaiguri scouting for spaces to set up chambers. More and more people will visit the town and the service sector, from transport to hospitality, will see a growth,” said a resident.

Additional reporting by our Jalpaiguri correspondent