The Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Krishan Kumar has requested the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Odisha Health Department to take necessary steps to declare its employees as Covid warriors.
In a letter to the Health ACS, the SJTA has explained that its employees are involved in discharging various duties during the pandemic which includes taking care of the Covid-19 positive persons in the institutional isolation facility at Nilachal Bhakta Nivas, assisting the medical teams in vaccination of sevayats and employees.
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Besides, they are continuously exposed to members of public while assisting performance of 'Nitis' inside and outside the temple and looking after the boarding, lodging and accommodation of Rathakhala sevakas. So, the employees should be declared as Covid warriors for extension of benefits as decided by State Government from time to time, the shrine authorities mentioned in the letter.
It is worth mentioning that two employees of SJTA-- Pruthimanyu Dash and Pramod Kumar Dash have already succumbed to complications arising out of Covid-19.
(Edited by Suryakant Jena)