Odisha Government says no to opening religious places
AGENCIES / WEB DESK
With more than 400 servitors and officials of the Jagannath temple in Puri testing positive for Covid-19, the Odisha government has told the High Court that it is not yet ready to open religious places in the state which have been shut for devotees since March.
Replying to a notice issued by the Orissa High Court over a PIL, the state government said as the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple in Puri does not have enough space, there are chances of spread of infection if the temple is allowed to open for devotees. The state government in its affidavit said 351 temple servitors and 53 officials of the Jagannath temple administration have tested positive for Covid-19. Several servitors including Premananda Dasmohapatra, member of the temple management committee recently succumbed to the disease.
Authorities in Odisha on Monday said that over 400 servitors and employees of the Jagannath temple have tested positive for Covid-19 so far. This development has come to light amid growing demands for Puri Srimandir to be reopened for devotees.
“While nine of these patients have succumbed to the virus, 16 are undergoing treatment at the Covid-19 hospital in Odisha’s capital city Bhubaneswar,” Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Administrator (Development) Ajay Kumar Jena said.
As most of the servitors who tested positive are in home isolation, there is a shortage of servitors to perform rituals.
There is no disruption in rituals at the temple so far, said one servitor, who is also a member of the temple’s managing committee.
“Of 822 samples collected from servitors/officials of Puri Srimandir, 379 have tested positive for Covid-19. Despite the grim situation, rituals of Lord Jagannath are underway without pause, but these may be disrupted in case of more infection,” the counter-affidavit stated.
A decision was taken to communicate with servitors who are not affected at a meeting to discuss the reopening of the temple’s Control Room chaired by Collector Balwant Singh. The authorities are making repeated efforts to ensure that Covid-19 guidelines are followed without any laxity.
Temple authorities have also been asked to ensure that everyone wears masks, no one spits inside the premises and the use of thermal scanners and sanitisers is enforced.
In addition, STJA has decided to lodge FIRs against Covid-19 patients who violate the 17-day home isolation rule by visiting the temple.