Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Monday asked the state government to decide on reopening of religious institutions outside the containment zones in accordance with the directive of the Supreme Court.
The ruling of the court came in response to two public interest litigations (PILs) filed by a devotee of Puri for the reopening of Jagannath Temple and 15 priests of Kakatpur for the reopening of the Mangala Temple.
Law Minister Pratap Jena told the media that the state government will take a decision in this regard soon. “The state government will frame specific guidelines for the reopening of the religious institutions after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the state. The revised guidelines will be for all religious institutions to ensure that there is no spread of the virus,” he added.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Odisha government had ordered the closure of Jagannath Temple in Puri and other religious institutions on March 20.
Also Read: Decision On Reopening Odisha Temples After Assessing COVID-19 Situation: Minister
