Bhubaneswar, Jul 12 (PTI) The Odisha government has appointed Arabinda Kumar Padhee as the new chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), replacing senior IAS officer V V Yadav.

A notification issued by the law department late on Thursday night invoked sub-section 19 of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1954 to effect the appointment.

Also Read | Stampede-Like Situation at Gujarat Job Interview: Congress, BJP Spar After Viral Clip Shows Huge Crowd of Aspirants for Job Interview in Bharuch.

It states, "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section 19 of Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1954, the State Government do hereby appoint Arabinda Kumar Padhee, IAS, as chief administrator, SJTA, Puri in addition to his present duties for the time being and until further orders in place of V V Yadav, IAS."

The decision to replace Yadav as chief administrator of SJTA followed criticism over his absence during the incident where the idol of Lord Balabhadra fell during the Rath Yatra festival, injuring 12 servitors.

Also Read | Maharashtra MLC Elections 2024: Shiv Sena UBT Demands Extension in Voting Time Citing Heavy Rains.

Padhee, who currently serves as the principal secretary of Agriculture & Farmers' Empowerment and Handloom, Textiles & Handicrafts Departments, brings prior experience as the former chief administrator of SJTA, underscoring his familiarity with managing the affairs of the Jagannath temple.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)