The agitation near the Gundicha Temple here for four days by the activists of the Satyabadi Devottar Sampati Suraksha Parishad demanding Government protection of the endowment of the Radhamadhav Dev, the presiding deity of Satyabadi has ended after a written assurance from the administration.
The huge Dharmshala, which was erected by a religious trust on the temple endowment in 1912 at the behest of late Ukalmani Gopabandhu Das, the then chairman of the Satyabadi Temple Trust, for pilgrims, is now in a ramshackle condition and unsafe.
It has remained deserted since long. Some land sharks had an eye on this valuable property and its adjoining vacant land once used for a Tulsi garden for the use in the temple.
The land mafia fraudulently entered their names in land records as owners of the land and recently sold some portions of the endowment to a number of persons.
local residents led by advocate Binayak Mohanty opposed this and demanded that the Government protect this prime endowment of the deity. Noted social activist Gobinda Mahapatra and five others of the Satyabadi area were on dharna after their written complaints went unheeded. The Bhusampati Suraksha Parishad supported the agitation.
The Revenue and Endowment Departments, after studying the entire land status and present situation, assured the activists in writing to initiate legal steps within a month to protect the endowment.
Sub-Collector S Das along with other officials and police on Monday went to the agitation camp and persuaded
them to call off the stir after handing over the written assurance letter.