Bhubaneswar, Dec. 21 -- With only 53 employees working against 189 posts, the Endowment Department under the Odisha government has been badly hit by a severe staff crunch. As a result, the management of various old mutts and temples across the State has been severely affected. While some servitors are not getting their salary in some places, many temples are getting deprived of revenue collection.

Take the case of the Jagannath temple at Nilagiri in Balasore district. Though the Holy Trinity is being worshipped at the temple, it is currently going through a severe management crisis. The servitors of the temple have alleged that the temple is not getting its revenue properly and hence they are not getting their payments on a regular basis...