Bhubaneswar: The Government of Odisha on Sunday said that it will take favourable action as legally permissible on the request of the Gajapati Maharaja when the issue is taken up for hearing before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. This statement comes even as the issue is to be heard in the Supreme Court today. The statement released by the Law Department says that the stand of the State Government in the hearing before Hon’ble Supreme Court on 18the June was primarily related to thousands of Ratha Yatras taking place all over the State. These Yatras involve lakhs of people and happen almost in every Gram Panchayat of the state. More than 5 lakh people of Odisha have returned back to the state since May. Most of them are likely to complete their quarantine period by the end of June.
This, along with the onset of monsoon, has made the Covid pandemic likely to peak in the State in June and July. The pandemic has killed lakhs of people across the globe and so far Odisha has handled the pandemic in an efficient manner with lowest mortality rates in the Country. Any Congregation during the probable peaking period can lead to loss of lives and serious public health hazard.
The statement of the Law Department reads as Follows:
1. A writ petition i.e Writ Petition (Civil) No. 571 of 2020 under Article 32 of the Constitution of India was filed before Hon’ble Supreme Court of India praying for a direction to be issued to the Central Government and the State Government of Odisha to not grant any permission to hold Rath Yatra which is scheduled to be held on 23’¢ June, 2020.
2. Three intervention applications being I.A. No. 55525 of 2020 (by Biswanath Das and Others), I.A.No. 55757 of 2020 (by Nituranjan Dash), and LA.No. 54910 of 2020 (by Jagannath Sanskruti Jana Jagarana Mancha through Secretary) were filed and listed along with the aforementioned writ petition before Hon’ble Supreme Court on 18 June, 2020.
3. In the aforementioned intervention applications, the applicants prayed before the Hon’ble Supreme Court that permission may be granted for holding the Rath Yatra on 23 June, 2020 and the three chariots may be pulled by the Sevayats and police officials present in the district of Puri by adhering to the social distancing norms.
4. It may be noted that the stand of the State Government in the hearing before Hon’ble Supreme Court on 18.06.2020 was primarily related to thousands of Ratha Yatras taking place all over the State. These involve lakhs of people, and happen almost in every Gram Panchayat of the state. More than 5 lakh people of Odisha have returned back to the state since May. Most of them are likely to complete their quarantine period by the end of June.
This along with the onset of monsoon has made the Covid pandemic likely to peak in the State in June & July. The pandemic has killed lakhs of people across the globe and so far Odisha has handled the pandemic in an efficient manner with lowest mortality rates in the Country. Any Congregation during the probable peaking period can lead to loss of lives and serious public health hazard.
5. Hon’ble Supreme Court, on 18″ June, 2020, after hearing all the parties including the three Intervenors passed an order, in the interest of public health and safety of citizens who are also devotees, restraining the State Government from holding the Rath Yatra this year in the State of Odisha.
6. In the meanwhile, the Gajapati Maharaj of Puri who is also the Chairman of the Sri Jagannath Temple Management Committee, has written a letter dated 20 June, 2020 to the State Government, inter alia requesting that the Rath Yatra in Puri may be held without any congregation of general public and with the State Government taking appropriate steps to prevent spread of COVID-19. It is to mention that similar views were also submitted by the Intervenors in the Hon’ble Supreme Court during the hearing on 18″ June, 2020.
7. In light of the aforesaid, the State Government will take favourable action as legally permissible on the request of the Gajapati Maharaj when the writ petition W.P.(C) No. 571 of 2020 is taken up for hearing before the Hon’ble Supreme Court.