BELAGAVI: Devotees under the banner of Gramadevata Sri Maragai Devi Devasthan Jirnoddhar Yatra Committee, Anagol, took out a huge protest rally and staged a dharna in front of the deputy commissioner's office here on Friday demanding basic facilities at Renuka Devi (Yallamma) temple at Savadatti The protesters alleged that the district administration has not bothered to provide basic facilities like drinking water, toilets and shelter for devotees who visit the temple in lakhs every year. The surroundings of the temple has also not been kept neatly.Baburao Sainaik, president of Gramadevata Sri Maragai Devi Devasthan Jirnoddhar Yatra Committee, urged the authorities to set up a hospital and round the clock ambulance service. He also demanded Rs 5 lakh compensation to families of Pandurang Salunkhe and Indumati Killekar who died in the temple a few days back. "Had they been given timely treatment, they would have been alive today,'' he said.Other demands he put forth include: construction of community halls for devotees, widening of roads leading to the temple, banning of sale and consumption of liquor and gutkha in the temple premise. The protesters gave a 15-day deadline for the authorities to fulfil their demands.Uday Saynakand, Sri Ram Sene president, Ramakant Konduskar, councillor Vinayak Gunjatkar, Netaji Jadhav and women in large number participated in the rally held from Sambhaji Circle to the deputy commissioner's office.

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