Odisha government reviews protection of Lord Jagannath temple lands

The Odisha Revenue Department held a high-level meeting in Bhubaneswar to review measures for protecting and restoring lands belonging to Lord Jagannath Temple. Officials discussed court orders, land records correction, eviction of encroachments and the setting up of a dedicated land cell

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Revenue Department on Thursday convened a high-level meeting to deliberate on the protection and restoration of lands belonging to Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri, located at various locations across the state.​

The high-level meeting was held at the Lok Seva Bhavan here under the chairmanship of Revenue Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee. According to an official statement, the meeting’s objective was to ensure the protection of land belonging to Lord Jagannath. ​

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The Revenue Secretary, during the meeting, directed the officials to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective implementation of all orders and judgments of the Supreme Court of India and the Orissa High Court concerning the protection and restoration of land belonging to Lord Jagannath.​

“Lord Shree Jagannath is regarded as the supreme spiritual landlord of our Odia community. Therefore, safeguarding all his landed properties is our collective moral responsibility,” said Padhee.

​The Revenue Secretary also directed that a dedicated Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu Land Cell be established within the Revenue Department to strengthen the protection and management of the landed properties of the Lord.​

He also emphasised the need for correction of land records (Record-of-Rights) of all landed properties registered in the name of Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu Bije (Lord Jagannath), Puri, through the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and for expeditious disposal of pending cases.​

The official sources also informed that discussions were also held during the meeting regarding the eviction of illegal encroachments from lands under the administration of the 12th-century shrine, particularly in various Tahasils of Khordha district and along National and State Highways.​

The revenue department officials also agreed upon that a review meeting on the protection of Lord Jaganath’s landed properties will be held on the first Wednesday of every month under the chairmanship of the Collector of Khordha district.​

The meeting was attended by Amrit Ruturaj, Collector of Khordha; Debabrata Sahu, a senior officer of SJTA; and senior officers of the Land Reforms Branch of the Revenue Department, as well as Sub-Collectors and Tahasildars of Khordha district.