Convention opposes Vedant University, demand scrapping of MoU

Puri, Nov 9 (UNI) Many political and social leaders today demanded scrapping of an MoU signed between the Orissa government and the Anil Agarwal Foundation for the proposed Vedanta university on the Puri-Konark marine drive road.

They also demanded a probe into the sale of government and temple lands to VU and pleaded that the property of mutts and other religious endowments taken over by the Jagannath temple management should be restored.

The punitive provisions (21 b) in the ammended Sri Jagannath Temple Act empoweringthe temple authorities to punish servitors was arbitrary and should be deleted.

The convention was organised by the Bhusampati Surakshya Parishad in association with other opposition political parties besides Vedanta Virodhi Sangram Sammittee, Jagannath Sevayat sammillani and Math and Mandirasis Seva Sangh to fight for their cause and to intensify the stir to exert pressure on the state government.

The Bhusampati Surakshya Parishad has been spearheading the agitation in this holy town demanding the roll back of 1992 Revenue Department circular which directed the revenue Officer of the state that all landed property having linked to Lord Jagannath should be entered into the record of right in favour of temple management.

The residents of this pilgrim city were up in arms against the state government as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has failed to keep his promise to solve the land issue.

The meeting resolved to prevent entry of the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers to the city if their demands were not fulfilled by December 31.

Those addressed the convention included Congress MLA N K Mohanty, CPI legilstor Narayan Reddy, former Union Minister Srikant Jena, Orissa Samajwadi Party President Kailash Mishra, former Advocate General Jayant Das, noted journalist Rabi Das, chief of Jagannath sevayat sammillani Banamali Suar and former chairperson of Puri civic body Surendranath Das.

UNI XC-DP PC DB2011