Orissa High Court sets one month deadline for decision on aid to sevayats

The petition said the sevayats of Maa Sarala Thakurani temple have lost their only source of income due to the closure of temples for devotees amid the pandemic.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

CUTTACK:  The Orissa High Court has set a four-week deadline for the Commissioner of Endowments to take a decision on providing financial assistance to the sevayats of the Maa Sarala Thakurani temple in Jagatsinghpur district.

Khirod Kumar Roul and four other sevayats of the temple had filed a petition seeking the Court’s direction to the State government to take steps in extending financial assistance to the priests or allow public darshan of the deity with adherence to Covid norms.

The petition said the sevayats of Maa Sarala Thakurani temple have lost their only source of income due to the closure of temples for devotees amid the pandemic.

No alternative arrangement has been made for their sustenance. The sevayats manage their families from the offerings by devotees but as the temple is closed, their earning has come to a standstill.

Considering the financial assistance that the authorities had provided to the sevayats of different temples by considering their representations, the High Court disposed of the petition with a direction to the petitioners to make a representation to the Commissioner of Endowments, Odisha within two weeks.

“If such a representation is filed, the Commissioner of Endowments shall consider and dispose of the said representation of the petitioners and other similarly situated sevaks of the Maa Sarala Thakurani temple, in accordance with law, and provide financial assistance, if possible, at the earliest”, the division bench of Justice Sanju Panda and Justice SK Panigrahi said in its order on October 21.

The above-mentioned exercise shall be completed by the Commissioner of Endowments within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of copy of this order, the bench specified in its order which was available on Wednesday.

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The New Indian Express
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