Cuttack, Oct. 31: The one-man commission of inquiry Justice Bimal Prasad Das, who is looking into the functioning of the Puri Shree Jagannath temple, today said that the suggestions of Puri Gajapati King Dibyasingh Deb and Puri Shankaracharya Nischalanda Saraswati were crucial for preparing the panel's conclusion and recommendations.

Das, a retired high court judge, who had invited affidavits from people - both general public and those associated with the temple -through a notification on October 5, said their statements were "essential".

"The secretary of the commission had handed over a copy of the notification to the Puri Gajapati king, who is the first servitor of Lord Jagannath. I expect his views and propositions in form of a deposition and I expect the same from the Puri Shankaracharya whose role is important in all proceedings of the Puri Jagannath temple," Justice Das told a press conference.

The Puri Gajapati is also the chairman of the managing committee of the temple.

In its October 5 notification, the commission had set November 4 deadline for receiving the affidavits. However, it extended the deadline to December 4 due to poor response.

"As the response was negligible, the commission extended the deadline to December 4 and from now onwards opinions, experiences and suggestions in plain paper along with postal address of the person concerned will be accepted," Justice Das said.

"Perhaps people are feeling reluctant because to the affidavit process that involves a notary for a sworn statement," Justice Das said calling upon all servitors to give suggestions.

Justice Das said it would set up separate committees for assisting the commission on protection and conservation of the temple, law and order related to the temple, traffic on Badadanda (Grand Road) and the area around the temple.

"The commission will form a committee headed by the secretary works department along with representatives of the Archaeological Survey of India and state archaeology for the protection and conservation of the subsidiary temples inside the Jagannath Temple complex," Justice Das added.

He also said the commission would constitute a committee for the law and order in consultation with the secretary home department and director general of police.

As for the committee for traffic issues, the assistance of an officer not below the rank of superintendent of police will be sought, he said.

In the terms of reference for the commission of inquiry the government had expressed concern that despite enactment of the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952 and the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 there had been delay in performance of rituals and lack of proper management of sevapuja of the deities.

Parrying questions from the media, Justice Das said: "The commission has already sought the details of lapses in daily nitis and seva pujas (rituals) in the temple from June onwards from the temple administration."

The state government on July 23 had appointed the one-man commission of inquiry to bring in reforms into the Puri Shree Jagannath temple following a protest over the attack on the Puri district collector and delay in conducting rituals of Lord Jagannath on Niladri Bije day on July 17.