Baripada: With two days to go for Rath Yatra, the servitors of Baripada Jagannath temple will undertake a padayatra of 250-km Wednesday from Baripada to Bhubaneswar over their demand for Dwitiya Srikshetra tag to the temple.
It may be noted that during the electioneering for the fourth phase of general elections, the Baripada servitors had raised the demand for Dwitiya Srikshetra status to the shrine before Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik when he visited the temple.
The servitors also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister. The other demands included appointment of an officer (magistrate rank) for the Endowment Department, appointment of servitors in mutts and temples, measures to streamline the rituals, reclaim of landed properties of mutts and temples and daily allowance of Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 to servitors.
The Chief Minister had then assured the servitors that he would look into their demands. They said they had made attempts to meet the Chief Minister to remind him of his assurance.
All servitors – Anga Sevaks, Mandira Sevaks and Ratha Sevaks – are now prepared to walk to Bhubaneswar from 7 am to meet the Chief Minister. They have already informed the Revenue Minister, collector, ADM and sub-collector about their marathon walk.
Meanwhile, Bhanja Sena, a local outfit, and several other associations have supported the servitors.