Puri temple set to introduce ticket 'darshan' system
Puri, Nov 27 : Devotees at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri can now shell out some money to catch a closer glimpse of the deities, without having to push through the crowd.
A ticket system will be introduced for people, who wish to get a 'darshan' (view) of the Trinity after crossing the inner barricade, next to the doorstep of the sanctum sanctorum, a senior member of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said.
The free 'darshan' system, however, will remain unaffected, he clarified.
"The managing committee of the 12th century shrine, under the chairmanship of Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, has decided to start the ticketing system for 'darshan', at least four times a day, from 'Bhitar Katha'," SJTA Chief Administrator P K Mohapatra told reporters on Monday.
A five-member committee will decide the price of the tickets, 60 per cent of which will be sold online, 35 per cent available at the counters and five per cent to be held by the administration, he said.
Earlier, the SJTA had introduced a queue system at the temple, for disciplined 'darshan'.
Talking about temple donations, the chief administrator said the gold received from the devotees will be deposited in banks under a central government scheme.
The temple will get an interest of 2.5 per cent under the scheme, he added.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
