By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government on Thursday directed Shri Jagannath Temple Administration in Puri , Lingaraj Temple Trust Board and other major Temples of State under Endowment to prepare plan of action for opening temples for worshippers adhering to covid regulations.
Respective Collectors will submit report after consultation with all stake holders in next 10 days, Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said. Collectors were asked to consider possibility of opening up places of worship for public of all religious faiths where compliance to extant Covid guidelines is feasible and report to Government, the Chief Secretary said adding the Government may prefer graded opening in the interest of containing the disease.
“State govt directs temple admn of Puri and other major temples of state under Endowment to prepare plan of action for opening temples for worshippers adhering to covid regulations. Respective Collectors will submit report after consultation with all stake holders in next 10 days.Dist collectors asked to consider possibility of opening up places of worship for public of all religious faiths where compliance to extant Covid guidelines is feasible and report to Govt. They may prefer graded opening in the interest of containing the disease,” Chief Secretary tweeted@SecyChief.
Earlier, Servitors of Haribaldevjew temple at Baripada, known as Dwitiya Srikhetra, also staged protest led by Odisha Temple Servitors’ Association president Kameswar Tripath while , servitors led by Damodar Mahasuar had staged a dharna in front of Jagannath Temple in Puri demanding reopening of the world-famous temple.
Mahasuar had questioned the State Government’s decision to keep the temple closed despite the Centre’s permission for reopening of temples across the country. They had suggested that devotees be allowed to visit the temple with adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines.
