Cuttack, March 20: The judicial commission set up for administrative reforms at the Jagannath temple in Puri will submit an interim report to the state government by April end, head of the judicial body Justice Bimal Prasad Das said today.
The state government appointed the one-man commission of inquiry on July 23 last year following an uproar over attack on the Puri district collector and delay in conducting the rituals of Lord Jagannath on niladri bije on July 17. "The report is being prepared. I will submit it to the government by end of April," Justice Das told The Telegraph today.
The commission was expected to submit its report within of six months. That deadline passed on January 22 after which the government had extended its term by six months.
Justice Das indicated that the interim report could include a set of suggestions for efficient management of the nitis and seva pujas of the deities, safety and security of devotees for hassle-free darshan, along with proper maintenance of law and order inside and outside the temple.
Justice Das, a retired high court judge, had earlier said the task was onerous. He had said the terms of reference were so vast that research on the Puri Jagannath temple, its deities and culture, along with the Madala Panji (temple chronicle) and record of rights prepared under Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1952, is necessary to give a justified opinion.
"The commission had visited the Tirupati temple during February 26-27 to observe its management, security aspects and role of servitors and their appointment process," commission secretary B.P. Parija said today. The commission had asked for certain documents and evidences from various functionaries, including law and order authorities.
"We have already received responses from most of them. The commission also held a high-level meeting last Friday to take stock of the steps being taken by the departments concerned for smooth functioning of the Puri Jagannath temple," Parija said.
Jagannath temple administrator Suresh Mohapatra, transport secretary Sanjay Rastogi, law secretary D.P. Routray, transport commissioner D.S. Kute, inspector general of police (central range) Saumendra Priyadarshi and Puri collector Arvind Agarwal were present at the meeting.
The commission started functioning from September 29 last. It lost nearly two-and-a-half months before it could invite affidavits from people - both the general public and those associated with the temple - through a notification on October 5 last.
The commission had received 12,791 suggestions, including 11,094 affidavits, 1,551 statements and the rest emails. "Of them, around 3,000 affidavits have already been examined," Parija said.
People from various walks of life, including Puri Gajapati Dibya Singh Deb, have submitted affidavits before the commission with their suggestions for smooth functioning of the 12th century temple. It has appointed four assessors (two lawyers, one high-ranking retired police officers and a retired senior officer in the Puri Jagannath temple administration) to scrutinise the affidavits, assist and advise the commission.
