Puri: The repair work of the Ratna Bhandar at Jagannath Temple in Puri will start soon, informed Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan today. 

"The Ratna Bhandar repair work is expected to begin in a day or two as the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has already granted permission to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) for it. The ASI will start work soon after cleaning the inner chamber of the temple's treasury," said the Minister. 

He said that the repair work and inventory of ornaments and other valuables of Lord Jagannath will be completed by January 31 next year. 

"The precious ornaments belonging to deities will be shifted to Ratna Bhandar from the temporary strongrooms after repair work. Thereafter, the counting will take place safely inside the Ratna Bhandar," Harichandan said. 

However, he denied the presence of any tunnel or suspicious articles inside the inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar. 

"The GPS report clarified that there was no tunnel inside Ratna Bhandar. Nor was there any metal object inside the structure. That scanning phase is complete. In the second phase, the temple administration has completed talks with Chhatisha Nijog. The ASI is to submit its schedule today," the Minister clearly said.