Puri: The Supreme Court-appointed Amicus Curiae Ranjit Kumar on Friday arrived in Puri to hold discussions with all stakeholders, including the with Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and Puri Shankaracharya and Puri District Judge here on reform measures to be implemented in the 12th century shrine, suggested by the apex court.
Kumar began talks with various stakeholders after paying obeisance at the Jagannath Temple.
Former Solicitor General (SG) Kumar was last month appointed by the Supreme Court as Amicus Curiae to oversee the 12 reform proposals at Jagannath Temple in Puri. Kumar’s appointment came after Gopal Subramaniam withdrew himself as the Amicus Curiae in November last year before submitting his report to the apex court.
In June last year, the apex court after hearing petition from an Odisha-based lawyer had directed the temple administration to implement the 12 proposals as a part of disciplinary reforms in the shrine for better convenience of devotees and smooth functioning of the temple.
The reforms included abolition of collection of dakshina (donation) by servitors from devotees, introduction of queue darshan system and abolition of hereditary priesthood in the shrine.
