Maha okays shifting of 1300 members of sect from Latur to Pune

Over 1300 members of a sect,

stranded in their Latur-based ashram in Maharashtra due to the lockdown, were on Sunday shifted to their main base in Pune district, after the state government facilitated their journey through a special order in view of the damage caused to the ashram by unseasonal rains, an order stated.

The Disaster Management, Help and Rehabilitation department on April 17 issued a special order instructing the Latur district administration to make special transport arrangements to shift all the 1341 followers of "Mahanubhav Panth" or sect to Devdatta Ashram in Junnar, a distance of about 385 kms, while adhering to the social distancing norms.

 

"All the followers were brought in to the Jadhavwadi- based Shree Devdatta Ashram in Junnar tehsil in over 40 buses on Sunday," said an official from the Pune (Rural) Police.

These Mahanubhavis or the sect members had gone to their ashram located in Nilanga tehsil in Latur district of Marathwada region on February 26.

However, they could not return to Pune district in view of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, which kicked in on March 24 and subsequently extended till May 3.

"Following the lockdown, all these people could not come back to their original ashram in Pune district. Meanwhile, rain and thunderstorm caused heavy damage to the ashram in Nilanga and the accommodation of the occupants became an issue," reads the order.

It was difficult for the Latur district administration to shift all the followers locally as the district is currently reeling under water scarcity, so the decision to shift to them to their original ashram in Junnar was taken, it stated.

"The district administration was instructed to carry out health check-up of all these followers before allowing them to board the buses," the order said.

It further stated that Latur district authorities conducted regular health check-up of all the inmate of the ashram, and so far none of them showed any symptoms for coronavirus infection.

Pune district collector Naval Kishor Ram said that the ashram in Junnar can accommodate 3500-4000 inmates at a time.