Puri: Devotees & servitors have vehemently opposed the construction of a public toilet near the 'Meghnad Pacheri', the boundary wall of Srimandir and demanded immediate halt of the construction work.
Secretary of Bhitara Sevayat Nijog, Rabi Das condemned the construction of the toilet and said, “The construction work is completely illegal. Nothing can be more unfortunate than the fact that someone without proper approvals is constructing a toilet adjacent to Srimandir's wall. An investigation should be done and the accused should be arrested.”
According to the rules set by the Archaeological Survey of India, no construction work can be done within a distance of 100 metre from the boundary walls of Srimandir. But it is yet to be ascertained under whose direction the construction work was initiated.
“Even an uneducated person can say that construction of a toilet near Srimandir's Meghnad boundary wall is wrong. I strongly condemn the decision,” a devotee, Sudarshan Mohapatra said.
Meanwhile, after flak from various quarters, the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has directed the district collector to stop the construction work of the toilet, a temple managing committee member said.
“Chief Administrator of SJTA has asked the district collector to stop the construction work of the toilet immediately. The circumstances under which the decision was taken to construct a toilet will be discussed at the managing committee meeting,” member of the temple managing committee, Ramchandra Dasmohapatra said.