Bhubaneswar, Dec. 13: The servitors of Jagannath temple in Puri today threatened to boycott the temple administration if it implemented Justice B.K. Patra Commission's recommendations that suggested, among other things, abolition of hereditary rights enjoyed by them.

The servitors have also threatened to lock the doors of the 12th century temple, if any attempt is made to truncate the rights that they enjoy for generations.

Jagannath Sevayat Sammilani, a body consisting of servitors, met at Puri last night to discuss the temple reform measures recommended by Justice Patra 38 years ago.

Sammilani spokesperson Banamali Suara said: "We will go to any extent to save the 1,000-year-old tradition and culture of the Jagannath shrine. We will not allow the government to turn the temple into an industrial establishment. If any attempt is made to deprive the rights of the servitors, we will not hesitate to lock the doors of the temple."

The state government has written a letter to the temple administration, seeking its views on the series of recommendations made by the commission in the late 70s. The report had been gathering dust for several years.

After this year's Nabakalebar festival, which faced a lot of controversy, the Naveen government seems to be serious about bringing reforms in the temple administration.

The letter seeks the temple administration to examine all the 23 recommendations of the Patra Commission and send a draft report. The government expects the temple administration to consult all the stakeholders, including the servitors. However, it has not given any timeframe to the temple administration.

One of the major recommendations of the Patra Commission was to put an end to the hereditary rights enjoyed by the servitors.

The commission stated that a servitor who failed to turn up for duty on any particular day without sufficient reasons should be summarily dismissed. Servitors who are serious about their duties should be encouraged to take up the serviceof the Lord.

"In spite of this, if it is found that the nitis (rituals) are not performed punctually and regularly, the hereditary rights of the servitors should be abolished by legislation and thereafter they should be appointed afresh on a monthly salary," the commission's report recommended. It implied that the government must bring in a legislation in the Assembly to abolish the hereditary rights enjoyed by the servitors for centuries.

The Patra Commission had argued in favour of creating a pool of servitors on a monthly salary to avoid problems during exigencies.

The president of Jagannath Sevayat Sammilani, Narasingha Puja Panda, said: "The temple's rituals are different and no attempt should be made to tamper with it. We will submit a memorandum to the chief minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard."