SC Asks Odisha Govt To Identify Unauthorized Temples For Demolition

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Odisha government that the religious restructure committee formed by it can take the decision for identification of unauthorized temples in the state for demolition.

A division branch of the Apex Court of Justice Arun Mishra and Anita Roy, while conducting the hearing of the case, issued the directive and asked the state government to submit a report in this regard within three months.

on January 6, 2011, a division branch of the Orissa High Court, in its judgment, directed the state government enlist the number of unauthorized temples which are not in the Record of Rights (RoR) published in 1987. Acting on the directive, the state government had formed a religious structure committee which enlisted 207 temples in Cuttack and thousands of temples all over Odisha.

The state government began the demolition drive in 2013 during which 36 temples in Cuttack city including Gundicha temple were demolished.

Challenging the order of the High Court, the management of Gayatree Shakti Peetha of Chahata, Ram Nigameswar Temple of Tulasipur and Baba Boothnath Shirdi Sai Temple of Khan Nagar moved the Supreme Court on the ground that the High Court cut-off date of 1987 ROR violated Supreme Court order on Gujarat case on September 29, 2009.