The Jagannath temple managing body on Wednesday passed the highest ever budget of nearly Rs 240 crore for the 2015-16 fiscal year, while the last year’s budget was pegged at Rs 104 crore. The budget is to meet the huge expenditures during the Nabakalebar ritual of the deities. On the income side, the grant from the State Government is estimated at Rs 110.21 crore while income from the land revenue is pegged at Rs 58.54 crore and revenue from the temple complex is estimated at Rs 15.40 crore. Income from other revenue sources is estimated at Rs 53.33 crore.
Rs 21.67 crore is estimated for expenditure for the Nabakalebar ritual. This apart, Rs 50.51 crore is to be spent for Nabakalebar related development works. The temple establishment and administration expenses are pegged at Rs 25.25 crore and Rs 3. 27 crore respectively. Rs 15.32 crore has been allocated for the conduct of daily ritual of the deities. Rs 20 crore would be spent for silver plating of the Jai Vijaya doors of the temple and Rs 20 crores to be spent for construction and widening of road around the temple.
The welfare of the temple servitors has been given priority as Rs 11.17 crore has been provided in the budget. This apart, another Rs 3 crore for establishment of a special school for the temple servitor’s children and Rs 3 crore for providing houses to homeless servitors have been kept in the budget. For the devotees, a toilet complex would be opened at a cost of Rs 50 lakh while a museum at Gundicha temple would be installed at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. Besides, Rs 3 crore would be spent on special rewards to the temple servitors for their exemplary services. Rs 2 crore would be spent for raising protection walls over the temple endowment property.
Chairperson of the temple body Gajapati Divyasingh Dev presided over the meeting while temple chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra presented the budget. Almost all the members of the temple body were present.