Endowments Department takes over Nelamo shrine

SALEPUR: Tension prevailed at the Padma Bana shrine at Nemalo after officials under the direction of the Endowments Department forced open the Padma Bana Trust Board office on Wednesday. Prior to this, the shrine was being managed by hereditary mahants.The locals, alleging gross mismanagement by the Mahanta of the shrine Gaganananda Goswami, had earlier moved the High Court demanding formation of a trust for smooth functioning of the shrine.Sources said following the allegations, the department had formed a trust comprising government officials, including Cuttack Sub-Collector Jyoti Prakash Das.Nischintakoili Tehsildar Nrusingha Charan Mahanty, Salepur SDPO Rajendra Prasad Behera and Nemalo police station IIC Anadi Sethi reached the shrine and asked Mahant Gaganananda Goswami to hand over the keys of the shrine’s trust board office. When he refused to oblige, they broke the lock and opened the office.Meanwhile, Mahanta Goswami has lodged FIR in the Nemalo police station alleging ransacking of shrine property by the tehsildar, the SDPO and the IIC in-charge.