Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken report from Kendrapada collector and SP on the declining condition of the 300-year-old Baladevjew Temple within 4 weeks.
The order issued Monday has also been sent to Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja and DGP YB Khurania for necessary action.
Human rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy had petitioned the commission on temple’s worsening condition due to neglect by its endowment trust board, police, and district authorities. Allegations included unclean toilets, alcohol consumption, and anti-social activities on the temple premises, which he said defiled its sanctity.
Only 12 of the 40 CCTV cameras installed for security are operational, severely compromising surveillance capabilities, the petitioner further stated.
Despite repeated complaints, the temple remains neglected, offending devotees’ religious sentiments and basic human rights.
He further said that a recent inspection by deputy commissioner of endowment Dillip Kumar Satapathy revealed that sacred spaces within the temple, including the Jhulan Mandap and Snana Mandap, have been converted into storage areas and the sub-collector, who is the working president of the Temple Endowment Trust Board, has shown little interest in addressing these issues. “Despite the state government’s investment in renovating various temples across Odisha, the Baladevjew Temple, known as Tulasi Khetra and revered by lakhs of devotees, remains neglected,” Tripathy added.
Baladevjew Temple has Odisha’s second-largest endowment trust board, after Puri’s Jagannath Temple.