Baliguda: A general meeting was held on Tuesday at the Town Hall in Baliguda, Kandhamal district, organized by the Baliguda Grama Committee, demanding transparency regarding the daily rituals and a complete list of movable and immovable assets of Ma Pattakhanda, the presiding deity of the region.
Over the years, the temple management committee has allegedly failed to provide any accurate account of the deity’s properties or make public the details of income and expenditure, leading to growing discontent among local residents. Citizens have raised concerns regarding what has happened to Ma Pattakhanda’s assets over the past 10 years, how much revenue has been collected, and how many devotees have donated money, gold, or silver to the temple. The community is now demanding answers from the temple management.
During the meeting, an interim village committee was formed. It was also decided that this committee would submit a formal memorandum demanding an audit of the goddess’s property and financial records, and that the results be made public.
As the presiding deity of the Baliguda region, locals emphasized that Ma Pattakhanda’s rituals must be conducted with due respect and that her property must be properly safeguarded.
The general meeting was attended by residents from all 13 wards of Baliguda town, including councillors, intellectuals, businesspeople, shopkeepers from Ma Pattakhanda Market Complex, and leaders and members from all political parties. A unanimous demand was made to publish the complete list of movable and immovable assets, as well as the income and expenditure details of the deity, as soon as possible.