Kaptipada: Lord Gopinath Jew owns huge landed properties in Kaptipada area of Mayurbhanj district, but his temple is ironically in a dilapidated condition thanks to the apathy of the endowments department.
Gopinath Jew temple is located at Kulialam village under Kaptipada block. Devotees lament that the Lord has 56 acres of land in His name, but He is being worshipped in a temple that is in a state of utter disrepair. “The temple leaks because its roof has not been repaired as yet while the Lord’s barn is lying abandoned. The administration however continues to stock paddy there every year, leaving it to rot,” the locals said.
An ancient well near the temple lies in a precarious condition. A new well was dug out nine years ago, but is yet to be completed.
Worse, many people have reportedly encroached upon land belonging to the temple, but the administration has not initiated any steps to recover them.
Villagers like Narendra Kumar Das, Manoranjan Bhanja, Arun Behera and Jagannath Barik said that the roof of the temple was repaired with funds provided from MLALAD, but work was sub-standard. “Now, its roof needs immediate restoration; otherwise it may fall to ruins soon,” they added.
According to villagers, Achyutanada Pradhan, a local resident of Jayantipata village, had built this temple about a century ago on his own land and even donated a few acres of land to the temple management in order to meet the daily expenses of daily rituals.
Now, the management of the temple is entrusted with Udala sub-collector while Podadiha revenue inspector is serving as temple manager.
Every year, huge quantities of paddy are harvested from the temple land and expenses of daily rituals and remunerations for servitors, priests, Tahalia, Palaiani and security guards are paid from sales of paddy.
“After paying remunerations of servitors and all kinds of expenses of the temples and festivals, about 60 quintals of paddy are left, but no one knows what happens to the money obtained from sales of the surplus paddy,” said villagers.
There is no audit about the expenditure of the temple, they rued.
Priest Jagannath Padhi and guard Akshaya Behera said that in this age of spiraling prices, their remunerations should be hiked.
As for the temple management, RI Ratnakar Behera, who retired as temple manager last month, said he was only working on the instructions of higher-ups. “There is dire need for repairs of the temple, barn, dwellings of priests, and the construction of a boundary wall and a platform,” he added.
Ramachandra Barik, former president of the temple trust board, said the administration should take immediate steps to make the land belonging to the temple free of encroachments. PNN