Puri: Chief of the Emar Mutt (Mahanta) Rajgopal Ramanuj Das on Tuesday skipped the meeting of the five-member trust board, constituted to look after the mutt’s religious services rendered to Sri Jagannath temple and its own festivities besides management of its property.
The five-member body comprising Mahant of Jhanjapita Mutt Sachidanand Das, Researcher on Jagannath culture Naresh Chandra Dash, social activist Pratima Mishra, Advocate BanabihariSahu and Executive Engineer Roads and Building, Puri reportedly held a meeting yesterday as per the order of Orissa High Court and State Endowment Commissioner.
The Emar Mutt Chief was slated to attend the meeting and hand over the charges to the trust board, however, he skipped the meeting.
“Following the order of Orissa High Court and State Endowment Commissioner we organised a meeting of the five member Trust board during which the Mahantamaharajan was supposed to hand over the charges of the Emar mutt. However, he did not come to the meeting despite repeated requests,” said advocate Banabihari Sahu.
Reacting over Rajgopal Ramanuj Das’ absence in the meeting, Mahant of Jhanjapita Mutt Sachidanand Das, who heads the board, said, “Despite our repeated requests to discuss about the matter with us, neither did he come nor sent any message.".
The trust board, meanwhile, informed that it would take legal step if the Mahant does not hand over the charges of Emar mutt. “We are waiting for another date when a notice will be issued to him to appear before the board so that we can begin our works as per directive of the Endowment Commissioner of Odisha,” informed Naresh Chandra Dash.
It is pertinent to mention here that the State Commissioner of Endowment had relieved the Mahant off all sorts of responsibilities and directed the five-member trust board to look after the management affairs of the mutt.