Bhubaneswar: A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha today met Gajapati King Dibyasingha Deb seeking his intervention for inventory of Jagannath temple Ratna Bhandar in Puri town.

The BJP delegation led by party’s former Odisha unit president Samir Mohanty met the Gajapati King, who is also the Chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee.

“We met the Gajapati king and sought his intervention for opening of Jagannath temple Ranta Bhandar for structural examination as well as inventory of the ornaments and precious items stored in it,” said Mohanty.

The BJP delegation informed the Gajapati king that the Orissa High Court on September 29 had directed the state government to constitute a high-level committee, if the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee approaches it, for supervising the inventory of the valuables of Ratna Bhandar.

The court has asked the state government to form the high-level committee within 60 days from the date when the shrine managing committee approaches it.

Prior to the HC order, the shrine managing committee had on August 4 passed a resolution urging the state government  to form a committee led by a retired High Court or Supreme Court judge to supervise Ratna Bhandar opening and audit of its valuables. However, the state government is yet to constitute any such committee, said Mohanty.

Notably, the High Court had delivered the verdict while disposing of a petition filed by Mohanty seeking opening of the temple treasury.

“The temple treasury was last opened for inventory in 1978. The state government is reluctant to open Ratna Bhandar even though Puri Shankaracharya and the Gajapati King have advocated this several times,” Mohanty added.

The BJP, meanwhile, threatened to approach Orissa HC if the state government does to take immediate steps to form a high-level committee for opening of Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar.