Puri: The row over formation of a trust board for the Dakhinakali shrine at Biragovindpur near Satyabadi has reached the state Endowments Commission.
Acting upon a petition submitted by the villagers, assistant endowments commissioner has served notice on 10 people in connection with the trust board issue. As per the notice, Prakash Chandra Acharya, Narahari Mishra, Purnachandra Acharya, Purnachandra Nanda, Ganeshwar Mishra, Sakti Prasad Mishra, Loknath Mishra, Dayanidhi Mishra, Biranchi Narayan Acharya and Girish Chandra Banerjee have been asked to depose before the commission September 11.
The endowments commissioner had constituted a trust board for the Dakhinakali shrine recently as per the Orissa Hindu Endowment Act-1951. Girish, Purnachandra Nanda, Purnachandra Acharya, Narahari and Prakash were nominated as members to the shrine trust board, sources said.
The Endowments Commission had asked the trust board members to elect one of them as the managing trustee to look after the day-to-day affairs of the temple.
Villagers, however, opposed the newly-constituted trust board and written to Puri MP Pinaki Mishra and state Law Minister Paratap Jena. The villagers have urged Jena to scrap the trust board.
The agitating villagers, meanwhile, took the Dakhinakali temple under control and terminated the services of chief priest Girish Chandra Banerjee. The villagers have engaged a few other priests to perform rituals at the shrine.
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