PURI, Feb 29: The Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in its meeting on Thursday has handed over the laser scanning report of the walls of the Inner Ratna Bhandar of Sri Jagannath temple to a statutory technical sub-committee to analyse and present their opinion.
Sri Jagannath Temple Chief Administration(SJTA)Chief administrator Samarth Verma told newsmen that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has presented the laser scanning report of the walls of the Bhitar Ratna Bhandar of the temple.
The report, he said, has been entrusted to the statutory technical sub-committee to analyse and present their opinion in the next meeting.
The reinforcement of four worn-out Natamandop beams with stainless steel beams work has been executed since February 23 and will be completed by March 9.
The SJTA chief thanked the servitors who have been meticulously working as per the rescheduled ritual timings to facilitate repairs.
Verma said that the meeting discussed ongoing projects under the ABHADA scheme like the construction of a reception centre, gardens, library, Jagannath Ballav pilgrimage centre, Sri Marg, Gurukul school.
The ASI has undertaken the illumination work of all four gates, Meghan and Prachir, and Kurma bedha of the temple for which work order has been released and work will begin soon.
Members of temple body Madhab Mahapatra, Durga Dasmahapatra, and Jagannath Kar have welcomed the Odisha government’s decision to constitute a committee for a fresh inventory of the Ratna Bhandar of Sri Jagannath temple.
A twelve-member committee headed by Arijit Pashayat a former judge of the Supreme court will open the Inner Ratna Bhandar of the Sri Jagannath temple and make a fresh inventory of huge ornaments, jewels, and other valuables of lord Jagannath and his siblings.
The Opposition political parties have been demanding the government to open the Bhitar Ratna Bhandar for fresh enumeration and its conciliation with the old list of 1978 inventory to ascertain the safety of the treasure.
An earlier attempt to open Bhitar Ratna Bhandar for repairs in April 2018 following a direction of the Orissa High Court had to be aborted as the District collector reported about missing keys.
In the absence of the key the team returned without opening the inner treasury of the temple. This triggered widespread reaction from various quarters.
After much hue and cry over the issue the state government appointed justice Raghubir Das, a high court judge as the inquiry commission.
The commission had submitted its report to the state government after one year but it is yet to be placed in the State Assembly. The Opposition parties have made it a political issue blaming the state government for not making the commission report public. (UNI)
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