Puri Jagannath temple priest, devotees raise concern over trust's Rs 545 crore deposited in Yes Bank

The priest and devotees of Lord Jagannath have raised concern over Puri’s Jagannath temple’s Rs 545 crore deposited in Yes Bank after the RBI directed to put a withdrawal limit of Rs 50,000 on bank customers.

A day after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suspended the Yes Bank’s managing board and put a cap of Rs 50,000 withdrawal in a month for the customers, the priest and devotees of Puri’s Jagannath temple have expressed their concerns over temple’s Rs 545 crore deposited in the bank. One of the senior Daitapatis (servitor), Binayak Dasmohaopatra, told the media that the RBI’s decisions have created panic among the devotees. He added that devotees have asked the trust to find the person who decided to keep such a hefty amount in a private bank just in the greed of a little more interest and demanded action against him.
Although, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam, in a press conference, made it clear that depositors’ money won’t get affected by the government’s decision, and assured that all the deposits and liabilities are safe. The RBI’s finance experts are trying their best and soon the situation would be normal, said Sitharaman.
Priyadarshi Patnaik, convenor, Jagannath Sena said targetted the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Temple’s Managing Committee for depositing temple funds in a private bank and tagged it an illegal decision. He added that the temple administration should be held responsible for the uncertainty and the panic situation.
He has also filed a police complaint at the Puri police station against the temple trust demanding a transparent investigation and action over money depositing decision.
Last month, law minister and former Puri lawmaker, Maheswar Mohanty said the decision to keep such a big amount in a private bank was wrong, asserting that the temple trust should talk to the RBI and the Finance Minister to ensure that the money is safe.
Also read: Coronavirus in India: How to make hand sanitizers at home?

Also read: Coronavirus in India: KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan says players, spectators health first
He had informed the house last month that off temple’s total Rs 626.44 crore, Rs 592 crore was kept in Yes Bank as fixed deposits and the rest Rs 47 crore were in a current account.