Cuttack: The opposition BJP Monday questioned the decision of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration to deposit gold ornaments received by the temple as gifts in a bank locker.
On Friday (June 8), the SJTA had deposited a part of gold ornaments received by the temple as gifts in a locker of a bank, temple public relations officer (PRO) Laxmi Puja Panda said Monday.
BJP state spokesman Pitambar Acharya alleged that the decision of the SJTA in depositing the gold ornaments in a bank locker was “in violation” of the Shree Jagannath Temple Rules of 1960.
Acharya claimed that the SJTA Rules mention that all jewelleries received as gifts or donations shall be kept separately inside the Ratna Bhandar (lords treasury) under the supervision of the temple administrator.
“The decision to keep a part of the gifted ornaments in a bank locker and not in the Ratna Bhandar within hours of an interim order passed by the Supreme Court, pointed finger towards the trustworthiness of the temple administrator and the state government,” he alleged.
On June 8, taking serious note of alleged exploitation of devotees by servitors’ at Puri Jagannath temple, the Supreme Court had passed a slew of directions to prevent any such malpractices and mismanagement.
A vacation bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ashok Bhushan had passed several
directions.
Jena shunted from SJTA
Bhubaneswar: In a damage control exercise in the aftermath of the missing of Ratna Bhandar keys, the state government Monday removed PK Jena from the post of chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). He was replaced by senior IAS officer Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra with immediate effect, sources in the Chief Minister’s Office said. Mohapatra will hold the charge in addition to his post as school and mass education secretary.
