SUNIT MISHRA, OP
Bhubaneswar: The plight of thousands of elderly women, known as Habisyalis, who have arrived in Puri during the holy month of Kartik to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath and observe the Radha-Damodar vrata, has exposed the state government’s mismanagement, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) alleged.
In a press statement, party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty accused the BJP government of repeatedly failing to make adequate arrangements for the Habisyalis, alleging that the administration had failed to ensure proper facilities for them for the past three years.
“This is not merely administrative mismanagement but an insult to the religious sentiments, traditions and rich Jagannath culture of the people of Odisha,” Mohanty said.
He said it was deeply distressing that women who had come to Puri with faith and devotion were being subjected to hardship instead of receiving the care and respect they deserved.