Govt failure to control crowd near Jagannath Temple draws flak

Bhubaneswar, Nov 21 (PTI) The Odisha government has come in for flak from opposition parties for allegedly failing to manage huge crowds of devotees in front of the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple and the elderly fainting while waiting in long queues. .

The opposition BJP and Congress Tuesday held the state government responsible for the alleged mismanagement at the 12th century shrine during the holy month of Kartik and announced that they will raise the issue in the Assembly..

“The present situation is simply the outcome of the administration’s decision to close three of the four gates of the temple. Though we have been demanding that all the temple gates be opened in view of the rush during Kartik month, the administration has remained silent. People are facing a lot of miseries,” said senior Congress leader Prasad Harichandan, who hails from Puri district.