Decision on reopening of temples in Odisha soon: Minister

Bhubaneswar: The decision on reopening of religious institutions in the state will be taken soon after consideration of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state, informed Law Minister Pratap Jena here today.

Speaking to mediapersons, the Minister said the reopening decision will be applicable to almost all the temple in the state.  “We will analyse things from different angles before taking the decision to reopen the religious places . To ensure that the deadly virus does not spread, we will decide the set of guidelines to be followed for reopening of temples,” said the Minister.

Earlier in the day,  Orissa High Court (HC) hearing a PIL stated that the decision to reopen religious institutions will be taken by the state Government. The PIL was filed in the court seeking the court’s direction for immediate reopening of all shrines across the state including Puri Srimandir.

Worth mentioning, all religious places in the state have remained closed since March following the COVID-19 outbreak.