Tender Today, No Final Decision Yet On Rath Yatra Telecast Rights: SJTA

Puri: The Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri on Saturday said no final decision had been taken as yet vis-a-vis giving rights for live telecast of Rath Yatra and other festivals.

There was huge resentment after reports said that the temple administration had decided that from this year it would accord the rights for live telecast of Rath Yatra and other major festivals of the Lords to the highest-bidding TV channel.

Talking to mediapersons here, SJTA chief administrator Pradipta Mahapatra said he had taken an initiative in this regard in 2011 but it did not take off. “All I want to say is that though you are getting good revenue from the companies through advertisements during the Rath Yatra’s live telecast, you are not contributing anything to the Jagannath temple. So, we have decided to float a tender to know how much will be your contribution to the temple. The bidding is scheduled for Monday afternoon,” he said.

Asked whether the decision taken by the temple administration is a move to deprive TV channels of their rights to telecast the proceedings of the rituals live, Mahapatra said the temple administration will take a decision only after the bidding.