CANACONA, NOV 7
Problems continue to mar the Gaondongrim Shri Mallikarjun Devasthan Committee meetings, as a meeting called by the committee on Sunday was forced into postponement allegedly by some unruly Mahajans demanding elections for the current triennium.
It may be recalled that old committee headed by Amarnath alias Deepak Dessai continue to run affairs of the Devasthan, as several attempts to hold fresh elections failed reportedly even at the intervention of the revenue ministry and Collector (South), after trouble broke out in government called election meeting in February.
A meeting was accordingly called by Shri Mallikarjun Devasthan Committee on Sunday with a specified ‘Devasthan’s budget’ agenda.
However, even with presence of strong police force led by Canacona PI Raju Raut Dessai and Canacona Mamlatdar C S Shetkar, the meeting failed to take up the agenda points, as vociferous group of Mahajans demanded to first hold elections to the temple body.
The committee headed by President Dessai that also includes Secretary Arjun Gaonkar, Tolu Gaonkar insisted that the meeting has a specified agenda and that includes only budget of the temple body and election process is not part of the agenda.
Some Mahajans also demanded Devasthan’s minutes book, which incidentally is reported to be in the custody of judiciary, after the February incident. The mahajans shouted: “How a meeting can be allowed without a minutes book, which is needed to record the proceedings.”
However, some unruly mahajans were not in any comprising mood and as nothing concrete was taking place except for trading charges, Canacona Mamlatdar reportedly at about 12 pm called for postponement of the meeting, while police controlled the situation.
Two communities Velips and Dessai who are temple Mahajan are holding grudge against each other to control the temple affairs, which reportedly has large tracts of land as temple’s property.
According to one community, the minority Dessai community refuses to give due representation to Velip community, who has more mahajans in the Devasthan, while Dessai Community alleges that Velip Mahajan’s had fraudulently and are illegal possession of large tracts of Devasthan’s land, which they are trying to take it from the temple body.
It may be recalled that ever since the trouble broke-out during the Devasthan’s election meeting called by government along with several other such religious bodies in the State on February 14 this year to elect a new body for 2010-12, problems continue to hold sway in the temple affairs.
During the February meeting, some executive members including the Devalaya President Amarnath alias Deepak Dessai were reportedly assaulted by Mahajans over the alleged faulty suspension of some Mahajans to keep them away from contesting the triennium election.
Police cases and counter complaints are still pending with the police, as government is also seized about the new committee election process, while an administrative tribunal has another election process held by Canacona Mamlatdar as void, while the previous body holds the sway in temple affairs saying as per Devasthan’s law, they continue to remain the rightful committee for current triennium.
Since than with the active intervention of government agencies, a different committee was elected, while administrative tribunal disallowed such a procedure, besides, every other orders issued by Mamlatdar to hold the election to elect new body for the current triennium are reportedly ignored not in keeping with the devasthan’s rules and regulations.