Amicus curiae reaches Puri, holds series of meetings

The Supreme Court appointed amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar Saturday reached Puri and held a series of meetings with various stakeholders.

Kumar has been appointed by the apex court to look into the affairs of the Jagannath Temple in Puri and suggest reforms.

Kumar held a meeting with the Temple Managing Committee Chairman and Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, servitors, district administration, police, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and others.

After his meeting with the amicus curiae, Deb said the subsequent Odisha governments have not given due attention towards the Jagannath temple.

The state government since 1960 has taken over the temple administration from Gajapati.

"It was expected that the government would be able to overcome lacunae in the functioning of the temple. But sadly, the subsequent governments have till date not been able to bring about reforms," Deb said.

The Gajapati pointed out that while things changed for the better within two years in Lord Tirupati and Vaishno Devi temples after being taken over by the Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir governments, respectively, there has been no such development in Puri Temple.

The Gajapati said there is a need for major reforms in the functioning of three aspects - temple administration, sevayats and religious practices at the Puri shrine.

"I have told the amicus curiae that if the three aspects were taken care of, it will become easier to implement other reforms," Gajapati said.

Kumar said that all the arrangements were satisfactory in Puri Srimandir but there was scope for improvement.

On the basis of the opinion of all stakeholders, the amicus curiae will prepare a comprehensive report and submit it to the apex court, said SJTA chief administrator P K Mohapatra.

The court, after examining the amicus curiae's report, will hear a case on February 27.

Ahead of the amicus curiaes visit, his assistant and senior Supreme Court lawyer Priya Hingorani had arrived in Puri on February 20 and held meetings with the temple administration and servitors on the apex Courts 12-point reforms proposals for Lord Jagannath Temple.