Puri: A top official of Puri district administration Wednesday said the demolition of structures located within 75 metres from the Shri Jagannath Temple boundary wall will continue despite protests from the priests, servitors and local residents.
Puri Collector Balwant Singh said the demolitions would continue after meeting a delegation
of 15 members comprising local people, Puri MLA Jayant Sarangi and others.
“It is wrong to call the process as demolition activity. The administration has been pulling down unsafe structures and doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the Sri Jagannth Temple. The eviction drive within 75 metres from the temple wall will continue,” Singh told reporters after the meeting.
The Collector said that the main seat of mutts (monasteries) where the deities are installed will remain intact. But, all other structures including business establishments located on the mutt premises will be evicted, he said.
The district administration also rejected the allegation that the affected people are not getting proper compensation. The collector said he would take up the matter with the affected people.Damodor Pradhani, a member of the 15-member delegation said, “The District Collector has rejected our proposal to stop demolition of structures. We will take up the matter with the Chief Minister.’’ Sarangi, however, said the District Collector will listen to the grievances of the affected locals, shopkeepers and mutt authorities in phases.
Resentment is brewing in the holy town after the district administration pulled down the 300-year-old Languli mutt and 900-year-old Emar mutt located within 75 metre from the Srimandir. There are plans to evict five more mutts in due course.
However, the district administration Tuesday halted the eviction of Bada Akhada mutt after strong opposition from monks and inmates.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra at a press conference in Bhubaneswar, criticised the state government’s act of demolishing ancient mutts in Puri.
“In the last seven days, the state government has turned Puri town into a battlefield by deploying 50 platoons of police force and 22 bulldozers for demolition of centuries-old mutts …,” Mohapatra said.
The BJP leader also criticised the state government for winding up the Justice BP Das Commission before the panel submitted its final report on temple reforms.
The state government has not tabled the interim report of the commission based on which the administration has been carrying out eviction drive in areas within 75 metres from the temple boundary wall, he alleged.