Bihar temple tragedy: BSRTC flags unregistered shrines to prevent repeat incidents

Bihar temple tragedy: BSRTC flags unregistered shrines to prevent repeat incidents

Patna, A day after a stampede at a temple in Nalanda district left eight people dead, the Bihar State Religious Trust Council on Wednesday called for prompt registration of all places of worship to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies.

Bihar temple tragedy: BSRTC flags unregistered shrines to prevent repeat incidents

BSRTC chief Ranbir Nandan, who visited the Sheetla Mata temple in Bihar Sharif, said the temple was not registered with the council and several shortcomings were noticed in its functioning.

At least eight devotees, mostly women, were killed and eight injured in a stampede at the Sheetla Mata temple on Tuesday morning.

Senior officials of the state government and district administration visited the spot soon after the incident.

DGP Vinay Kumar also visited the temple on Tuesday.

The district police suspended Station House Officer of the Deep Nagar police station with immediate effect for dereliction of duty and ordered an inquiry to find out the exact cause of the incident.

Nalanda police has arrested four persons in connection with the incident and also registered a case against 20 named persons and several unknown persons.

"We request all public temples/mutts, trusts and Dharamshalas in Bihar to get themselves registered with the BSRTC," Nandan said.

"Registration is mandatory to protect the properties, including land, of these registered/unregistered temples from unauthorised claims, as large-scale irregularities have been found where priests of such temples/mutts have been selling and buying immovable assets by becoming owners," he claimed.

Talking to PTI, Nandan said, "I visited the temple on Wednesday to assess the situation following yesterday's incident. I spoke to priests and locals. This temple is not registered with the BSRTC. We will take appropriate steps to ensure that the temple's management functions smoothly."

The council will also focus on providing drinking water, shelters, and other facilities for devotees visiting temples. Administrative support will be sought to ensure smooth arrangements during festivals and events, Nandan added.

According to BSRTC data compiled from 35 districts, Bihar has around 2,512 unregistered temples or mutts owning more than 4,321 acres of land.

The total number of registered temples is around 2,499, which hold more than 18,456 acres. The council functions under the state law department.

Maximum number of unregistered temples/mutts are in Vaishali , followed by Kaimur Bhabhua , West Champaran , Bhagalpur , Begusarai , Saran , Gayaji , etc.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.