SC To Take Up Puri Jagannath Temple Case For Hearing On May 1

Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court has set May 1 as the date for hearing the Mrinalini Padhi v. Central Government case concerning the reforms to the Puri Jagannath temple.

The case is being heard by a bench that consists of Justices CT Ravikumar and MR Shah.

It is known that the state government and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had each presented their separate affidavits before the hearing.

The SJTA has submitted its 33-page affidavit, in which it addresses issues such as the appointment of a full-time chief administrator, the ability of an IAS rank officer to oversee festivals and everyday rituals, the establishment of Gurukula Sevashram, and Lord Jagannath’s land and property.

The state administration had requested time for the appointment of a full-time chief administrator at the previous hearing and asked that the appointment’s time restriction be extended until December 2023.

The top court, however, had rejected it and warned that if a full-time chief administrator was not appointed, a contempt of court action would be taken.

The bench also inquired about the use of Rs 5 crore in monies received for the welfare and education of servitor children.