Servitors protest closed-door hearing on Srimandir reforms

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Puri: A few servitors of Srimandir Friday protested the closed-door public hearing held at Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) office here seeking proposals and suggestions on Srimandir reforms.
A few minutes after commencement of the public hearing at 11am, the servitors along with some devotees staged a protest inside the SJTA office alleging ‘improper’ way of conducting the hearing.
“The three-member expert committee, comprising former SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, IGP Soumendra Priyadarshi and Shree Jagannath Temple managing committee member Mahimohan Tripathy, called people one by one and discussed issues in a closed-room instead of discussing in open,” an agitating servitor said, adding that this is no less a conspiracy to suppress their voice.
“Sixty of the 119 persons, who registered themselves for the public hearing, put forward their views mainly on hassle-free darshan of the deities and sanitation at the 12th century shrine while the others boycotted,” SJTA PRO Laxmidhar Puja Panda said.
According to Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, after the public hearing, they would study the prevailing norms and welfare activities undertaken at major shrines, including Vaishno Devi in the country, and submit a report to the state government by August-end.