BHUBANESHWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday assured the servitors of Sri Jagannath temple at Puri to consider their grievances and put forth before the Supreme Court, which had recently advised the State to go for reforms in the management of day-to-day affairs of the 12th-century shrine.
A delegation of 22 servitors from the temple led by President of Singhari Nijog Ramchandra Singhari met the Chief Minister at his residence Naveen Nivas here and placed their demands. They requested the CM to devise a solution which can protect the interests of both servitors and devotees.
A highly placed source told TNIE that the CM gave a patient hearing to the demands of the servitors and suggested them to submit those demands in writing to the three-member committee formed by the State Government to analyze the Supreme Court directive."The CM told that the amicus curiae appointed by the Supreme Court will visit the temple after Rath Yatra and he will be apprised about all the grievances. The issues can be amicably settled, the CM assured the servitors besides urging them to cooperate the administration for the Rath Yatra to pass off peacefully," the source informed.
Lok Sabha MP from Puri Pinaki Mishra and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty were present during the discussion of servitors with the CM."The SC directive is subjected to further order as it is not final verdict. A three-member committee led by Chief Administrator of the Temple Administration has already been constituted. The servitors requested to ensure that their prayers are properly heard by the committee and a report is submitted to the court," he told reporters after the meeting.
Stating that Puri temple has a unique system and servitor engagement is done by hereditary process, Mishra said the matter has not been properly reflected before the court. "Other temples have deities or idols but we worship living Gods at Puri. They are taken care of like human beings. It can not be compared with other temples," he said. The Singhari Nijog President said the servitors are against entry of non-Hindus into the temple and abolition of hereditary system of service. "We have apprised all the issues to the Chief Minister," Singhari said. Earlier, the Apex Court had also taken serious note of alleged exploitation of devotees by 'sevaks' at the Puri Jagannath temple and passed a slew of directions to prevent any such malpractices and mismanagement.
Citing that it is of prime importance to extend all devotees a hassle-free visit, the court had directed the Odisha Government to study the management schemes of other important shrines in the country and follow accordingly. The SC had also asked the temple administration to refrain servitors from taking donations directly from devotees and suggested to consider allowing every visitor irrespective of religious faith to make offerings to the deities subject to regulatory measures.