Former Orissa High Court Judge Bimal Prasad Das, who has been appointed head of a one-man commission by the State Government to suggest reforms in the management of the Puri Jagannath Temple, on Friday said ending indiscipline would be the guiding principle of the exercise he would undertake.
Talking to a TV channel, Justice Das said, “I won’t tolerate indiscipline. From this, you can understand what would be my way of functioning.”
Asked if he is confident that the Government would accept his recommendations, Justice Das said, “Obviously, the Government will accept them if the recommendations suggest a way to ensure that the rituals are performed in a disciplined manner.”
“I will not disappoint people, who have faith in the terms of reference given to me,” he said. When his attention was drawn to the suggestion made by former Minister Surjya Narayan Patro for formation of a Tirupati-like Trust Board to run the affairs of the Shreemandir, Justice Das said the model to be suggested by the commission does not necessarily have to follow any other model.
“It could be an altogether new model. But what it would be can be decided only after every aspect, including the Record of Rights, is studied thoroughly,” he said.
On the other hand, senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra has alleged that the setting up of the Justice Das commission is only an exercise to protect the bigwigs who stood as mute witnesses when servitors went on a rampage during the Niladri Bije last Sunday, abusing the district Collector and manhandling mediapersons.
“Earlier, the Government had set up the Justice RK Patra commission. No one knows what happened to its recommendations,” Mohapatra pointed out. Senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik, who held the Chief Minister responsible for all the fiascos at the Puri temple, also termed the appointment of the commission as a move to hoodwink people.