Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb has urged devotees of Lord Jagannath to cooperate with the State Government’s initiative to develop the 12th-century temple and also Puri town.
Deb issued a statement on Saturday, a day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sanctioned a package of Rs 500 crore for development of Puri into a world-class heritage site and made an appeal to the citizens of the town to help implement the Government’s project.
The Gajapati’s statement welcoming the Government’s move is significant in view of the opposition to it by a section of local denizens.
However, the Gajapati said: “All developmental activities should be undertaken in accordance with the spirit of Puri’s great spiritual, religious and cultural heritage along with traditions.”
In fact, the Government has sanctioned a total of Rs 765 crore in two phases for an overall development of Puri town, including the Jagannath Temple.
Though Puri locals in general welcome the Government’s initiative, a section of the residents are opposed to the plan to evict residential, commercial and spiritual institutions like mutts located within 75 meters from the Meghanada Pacheri, the temple’s boundary wall.
The Chief Minister has, however, assured the affected people that they would be properly rehabilitated for their sacrifice for the security of the temple in view of terrorists’ target of religious establishments across the world.
The Government also has plans to demolish illegal structures over an area of 1.53 acres near the sea beach in Puri.