Odisha Govt Institutes Interim Trust Board To Look After Lingaraj Temple Affairs

Bhubaneswar: The Endowments Commissioner has dissolved the existing Trust Board of Lingaraj Temple and constituted an interim body for the efficient and better management of the affairs at the 11th-century shrine.

As per a notification issued by the commissioner on Wednesday, the nine-member Interim Trust Board will have tenure of one year.

Khurda Collector will be the chairperson of the body and apart from him, Bhubaneswar Additional District Magistrate, Bhubaneswar-II ACP, BMC’s (Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation) Additional Commissioner, government pleader of Bhubaneswar court, representatives of three servitor communities of the temple and an advocate are the other members of the trust board, read the official notification.

The government's move to form a new committee to oversee affairs at this famous shrine comes amid allegations of mismanagement by the temple trust board and infighting between servitor groups over encroaching and selling of land of Lord Lingaraj.

It is also being said that the new trust board has been set up to expedite proposed reform measures in the temple and its heritage zone just like at Puri Srimandir.