CUTTACK: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri has come under the cloud following allegations of serious lapses in disbursal of financial support of Rs 5,000 to servitors in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
Acting on a petition alleging inclusion of several fake servitors in place of genuine Palia Sebaks of Pani Apata Nijog, the Orissa High Court has issued notice to SJTA and directed to put up the matter after three weeks.
“As an interim measure, it is directed that any disbursal of the emoluments to Palia Sebaks of Pani Apata Nijog shall be subject to result of the writ petition,” the single judge bench of Justice KR Mohapatra said in his order. Nijog secretary Vimasena Apata filed the petition.
Advocate Dayananda Mohapatra argued on behalf of the petitioner. Pani Apata Nijog is the class of servitors who draw water from the temple well and supply it throughout the day for rituals of the deities.
The petition has sought an independent inquiry to ascertain how fake Sebaks were included in the list of Palia Sebaks for receiving the assistance. The petition also sought direction for recovery of the disbursed amount received by these ‘outsiders’.
“In fact, none of them rendered Pani Apata Seba nor they have any Pali (allotment) to perform the aid seba,” the petition claimed, adding that in the process, genuine Palia Sebaks had been deprived of the financial benefit. The SJTA had provided the financial assistance to the servitors as their livelihood had been adversely affected by closure of the shrine since March 20 following the pandemic.