Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Pradipta Kumar Naik on Tuesday wrote to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urging him to ban sale of non-vegetarian foods and liquor in hotels on both sides of the Badadanda (Grand Road) from the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Mausimaa Mandir in Puri at the earliest.
In the letter, Naik thanked the Chief Minister for undertaking the construction and beautification works in the 75-metre area around the Shreemandir. “The area has been developed and well maintained which is attracting a large number of pilgrims,” wrote Naik.
However, he expressed unhappiness saying many hotels on both the sides of the Grand Road are selling non-vegetarian items and some of them selling liquor too. “There is a great discontentment among the devotees coming to Puri for darshan of Lord Jagannath,” he mentioned.