In a recent administrative shake-up, the Odisha state government has appointed Arabinda Padhee as the new chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), replacing Veer Vikram Yadav. This decision was formalized through a notification issued by the Law Department under the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1954.
Padhee, who is currently the principal secretary in the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department, is set to take on his new responsibilities in addition to his current duties. A seasoned IAS officer from the 1996 batch, Padhee brings valuable experience to the role, having previously served as the chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple.
This administrative change follows a recent incident on July 9, where the idol of Lord Balabhadra fell from a makeshift ladder, the ‘charamala’, during the ‘pahandi’ procession to the Adapa Mandap inside Gundicha temple. The mishap led to injuries among several servitors and sparked widespread outrage.
In the wake of the incident, a complaint was filed against Yadav at the Capital police station in Bhubaneswar by five lawyers, citing negligence on the part of the SJTA.
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