Puri: The members of Odisha Legislative Assembly Standing Committee-1 on Tuesday held a discussion on different aspects of security and development measures of Jagannath temple in Puri with Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA).
The Committee members held a meeting with Chief Administrator of SJTA Arabinda Padhee during their visit to the temple. They also discussed ongoing and proposed developmental works around the temple with the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
According to sources, the committee members stressed on hassle-free darshan of the deities in the temple by the devotees. Though all four gates of the temple have been opened for the devotees to enter the temple, there was need for further streamlining the arrangements, they said.
The compensation to be provided to the servitors for not allowing entry of devotees atop the chariots during Rath Yatra and the money spent under ‘Kotha Bhoga Dhana Yojna’ also figured in the discussion.
Siddhant Mohapatra, chairman of the committee told the media that they mostly took stock of the security arrangements in and around the temple. It was proposed for formation of a special battalion for the temple’s security, he added.
