Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 21:

In the wake of the ongoing controversy post the Niladri Bije fiasco, the Odisha government today constituted a one-member judicial commission to bring reforms in the management of the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri.

File Pic Courtesy: OST Photo File Pic Courtesy: OST Photo

The commission would be headed by former High Court Justice Bimal Prasad Das and assisted by former chief administrator of Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Mahimohan Tripathy, informed Law Minister Arun Sahu here.

“Shri Jagannath temple is an important religious destination and pride of Odisha. The state government is always concerned about better administration and safety of the Jagannath temple. In view of the Shir Jagannath Temple Act, 1952 and Shir Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 have been implemented. It has come to the notice that rituals have been delayed in the recent past. In order to streamline it, a Commission has been set up as per Shir Jagannath Temple Act, 1952. The Commission would give suggestions on disciplined rituals, darshan of deities, security arrangements, training and education to servitors, conservation of heritage and propagation of Jagannath culture,” Law Minister Arun Sahu said.

Notably, the aftermath of unruly scenes during the Niladri Bije rituals of the Lords on Sunday has prompted the state government to form a Commission.

The servitors defied the ban imposed by the SJTA following the High Court order not to climb atop the chariots during the annual Rath Yatra festival. When the District Collector Arvind Agarwal confronted the servitor Damodar Mahasuar while he was climbing down the Taladhwaja chariot with his daughter, an uproarious scene was witnessed where a group of servitors allegedly threatened Agarwal, hurled abuses and tried to intimidate him.

Besides, a scuffle also ensued between the servitors and the journalists who were capturing the incident. Following this, the district administration filed FIRs against the wrong-doers and at least six servitors have been arrested so far. The police are on the lookout for the others named in the FIRs.