Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government and the state endowment commissioner to take an expeditious view of providing financial assistance or ration supply to priests or consider reopening temples which are closed for over six months in the wake of the pandemic.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq asked the government to open the temples in a graded manner in accordance with the laid down modalities after assessing the COVID-19 situation as per the earlier orders issued by the High Court.
The order of the High Court came while disposing of two writ petitions seeking its direction to extend financial relief to servitors of registered temples for the period of lockdown on account of the pandemic.
“Take a view on the grievances of the petitioners with regard to (providing) financial assistance or ration kits, or in the alternative for opening of temples, as expeditiously as possible, but not later than eight weeks from the date of copy of this order is produced before the authority,” the bench, also comprising Justice B R Sarangi, ordered Monday.
The petitions were filed by a servitor of Dadhibaman Dev temple of Nayagarh district and an organisation of servitors of the same district.
All the temples in Odisha are closed since the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March.
While the Central government allowed opening of religious places from June 2020, the Odisha government has directed that temples will continue to remain closed for devotees up to this month-end.
PTI