Gajapati praises Odisha govt for prioritizing Puri Jagannath temple

Puri: Heaping praises on the State government, Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb today said he is very happy that the government has been focusing on the development of Shree Mandir and Shree Khetra.

In 1960, Odisha government had taken charge of the management of Puri Shree Mandir after rituals disruption and other related issues emerged. However, the governments earlier failed to resolve the issues. Expectations of devotees were also not addressed. “I welcome the steps taken by the present ruling for development of the Shree Khetra and Shree Jagannath temple,” said Deb, adding that only time will tell what results come out of the measures taken by the government.

The State should ensure reforms are implemented as per the directive of the Supreme Court. This apart, it should look into the proposal of appointing a permanent officer for managing the affairs of Shree Jagannath temple.

The State government has taken a host of measures to make Puri as a World Heritage City. The Cabinet has approved projects worth Rs 3,200 crore for infrastructure development in the city over a period of three years. This apart, more projects are likely to be announced for Puri city.

“Most of the developmental works for Puri was done during the tenure of former chief minister J B Patnaik. Janaki Babu had ensured the Grand Road in front of the temple encroachment free and also constructed Puri-Konark marine drive,” Congress MLA Suresh Routray said.

“As an Odia, I respect the Gajapati Maharaj. But I denounce his praise for the chief minister. Gajapati should be neutral to all and not side with any leader or party,” he said.

Senior BJP MLA J N Mishra said, “Naveen Babu is an expert in earning praise without doing any work. I do not accept Gajapati’s statement.”