Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued identity cards to the members of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee and Gajapati king Dibyasingha Dev, the chairman of the managing body of the 12th century shrine.
The SJTA has also sought Aadhaar cards and photographs of Srimandir servitors from their respective Niyogs (associations) to issue identity cards to them, sources said.
“The SJTA will soon issue identity cards to all servitors. The temple body has sought the photographs and Aadhaar cards of servitors for the purpose,” said a source in the temple administration.
It is worth mentioning here that the Supreme Court of India had suggested 12 reform measures for Srimandir while dealing with a case pertaining to the shrine last year. The court had suggested the SJTA to issue identity cards to Srimandir servitors and employees as part of the reform proposals.
This apart, Srimandir, the abode of Lord Jagannath, has been in the hit list of some terrorist groups for last several years. A team from the elite National Security Guard (NSG) usually inspects security measures at the shrine at least once in a year.
Citing terrorist threat to Srimandir, the Intelligence Bureau had recently sent a communiqué to Odisha police to enhance security arrangements in and around the shrine, sources said.
The state government has deployed police personnel at the four gates of Srimandir as part of security arrangements at the shrine. The security personnel usually frisk devotees to prevent them from carrying mobile phones, cameras and other electronic gadgets into the temple.
However, the security personnel deployed at the four gates of Srimandir do not frisk servitors and temple employees. The police personnel at the four gates of Srimandir usually identify the servitors and shrine staff by their special attires, sources added.
There were allegations that some outsiders used to enter into the shrine in the disguise of servitors.
“Issuance of identity cards to servitors and shrine employees would certainly check the entry of unwanted people in the disguise of servitors,” said a city-based social activist.
Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee member Madhab Pujapanda said the SJTA will issue identity cards to the servitors after receiving their photographs and Aadhaar cards. “The SJTA has issued identity cards to the members of Srimandir managing panel and its employees in the first phase,” he added.