File fresh affidavit on free movement of wheelchair-bound devotees: HC to Puri temple admn

Cuttack: Orissa high court on Wednesday directed the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri, to file a fresh affidavit on facilitation of free movement of wheelchair-bound devotees within the temple premises.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Mrinalini Padhi, a HC lawyer, on Nov 11 last year. On Jan 22, the HC had issued notice to the chief administrator of SJTA and an affidavit was filed on Monday.
When additional govt advocate Subrat Satapathy placed the affidavit before the court on Wednesday, the two-judge bench of Acting Chief Justice Arindam Sinha and Justice M S Sahoo said, "The chief administrator SJTA will file another affidavit assuring this court on compliance of the direction made by the Supreme Court. The affidavit will be accepted on the adjourned date (April 9) upon advance copy served."
The Supreme Court had issued the direction to the temple administration to implement the assurance it had given for special arrangements for differently-abled persons to enter the temple.
In its Nov 4, 2019 order, the Supreme Court had mentioned that SJTA had assured special arrangements are being made for hassle-free darshan of deities by differently-abled persons.
"The differently-abled persons will enter the temple through North Gate and will have darshan of deity from ‘Bahara katha' (inside Nata Mandap near Jay Bijay Dwara). For this purpose, a ramp is under construction," the SJTA had assured the SC.
In its affidavit to the HC, the chief administrator of SJTA stated, "At present there is a masonry ramp from Uttaradwar to Bahara Gumuta to Uttaradwar Bhitargumut. Then there are steps to enter Bhitara Bedha. From Bhitara Bedha near ‘Ghanti Dwar' to Nata Mandap there exists one wooden ramp. So the only barriers are the masonry steps. Estimates have been made and a tender has been floated for construction of a masonry ramp at Bhitargumuta to avoid the existing steps."
The affidavit added, "Work is likely to be started after finalisation of tender and may be completed within four months."
Padhi, in her PIL had sought the HC's intervention for implementation of the assurance given by the temple authority in their affidavit before the Supreme Court. She also sought direction to provide access to wheelchair-bound persons to have a darshan of the deities.