Puri: From now on, funds of Shree Jagannath Temple will only be deposited in nationalised banks, informed Chief Administrator of Jagannath Temple, Krishan Kumar following a crucial meeting of the temple managing committee today.
As per reports, the managing committee of Srimandir discussed various issues pertaining to the swift management of temple including the parking of foundation fund, temple fund and the corpus fund in banks.
Briefing media after the meeting, Krishan Kumar said, “We will invite applications from all nationalised banks for depositing temple funds. We will deposit 50 per cent of temple and corpus funds in the bank that provides the highest interest rate. The other two banks who will come second and third in terms of interest rate will be distributed the remaining 50 per cent of the fund.”
“The Foundation fund of Srimandir, however, will be deposited only in the State Bank of India,” clarified Kumar.
The meeting also discussed the review of auction process of the businesses conducted inside the temple. It was an age old practice of the Temple administration to auction off the sale of Diyas and other merchandise to private owners who then used to harass the devotees and force them to buy merchandise and Mahaprasad to get maximum profit.
Krishan Kumar said, “We will put in an alternate system so that the devotees won't be harassed by those profit mongering sellers and get a holy experience of Jagannath darshan.”
“Temple administration won’t focus on making profit anymore. Under the new system, devotees will avail a great spiritual experience and I hope that the complaints from the devotees will gradually subside,” added Kumar.
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Untimely Rath Yatra In Mumbai
Speaking on the recent RathYatra conducted by ISKCON in Mumbai, Kumar said, “We are in talks with their senior officials and authorities. A decision has been taken to send a letter through Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb urging ISKCON to refrain from going against the Jagannath culture and tradition."
"The ISKCON authorities have taken our request seriously and promised to discuss this issue in their next meeting this April," said the SJTA chief.
During the Managing Committee meeting, it was also decided that a committee will be formed with the chairmanship of the Revenue Secretary and it will identify and reoccupy the lands both in Odisha and beyond.