Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has collected fines to the tune of `60,000 from devotees for carrying mobile phones into Srimandir in a span of eight days from January 3, sources said.
The SJTA had earlier banned use of cell phones on Srimandir premises in the wake of photos of the temple interiors going viral on social media. It has put up several signage around Srimandir to make devotees aware of the ban.
The temple administration had announced a penalty of `1,000 each on those devotees found using mobile phones at the 12th century shrine. It had also decided to seize the phones of the violators. The order was strictly implemented from January 3.
A special squad formed by the SJTA caught several devotees using mobile phones at Srimandir and collected penalties to the tune of `60,000 during January 3-10 period.
Though the temple administration has adopted a stern approach towards devotees carrying phones into Srimandir, it has failed to do so when it comes to the police personnel deployed at the shrine.
Several security personnel are seen using smart phones on the premises. Even, some police personnel deployed at the four gates of the shrine were spotted playing games on their smart phones. “We welcome the SJTA decision to ban the use of mobile phones at Srimandir. But, the ban order should be imposed on all and sundry. Police personnel or government officials should not be excluded from the ban order,” said Subodh Panigrahi, a devotee from Polasara in Ganjam district.
Echoing the same view, Sriharsha Muduli, a devotee from Cuttack, said: “One of my relatives was penalised for taking mobile phone into Srimandir. But, many police personnel are seen using smart phones within the temple precincts. The temple administration should not adopt different approaches towards different people.” Meanwhile, some devotees claimed that the security personnel deployed at the four gates of Srimandir seldom bother to check the devotees thoroughly to discourage them from taking mobile phones into the shrine.
A woman devotee from Vrindavan Wednesday claimed that the security personnel deployed at the temple gates did not ask her anything regarding the mobile phone. The devotee was caught using mobile phone at Srimandir.
PNN