Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday sanctioned allotment of Rs 3 crore and one acre of land for construction of a dharmasala (lodge) in Puri town for the people of Kulta community.
The dharmasala will come up at the sanctioned patch of land located in Sunamuhna Mouza.
Lakhs of devotees from the community visit the pilgrim town every year for darshan of Lord Jagannath. A delegation of the Odisha Kulta Samaj comprising members from Boudh, Subarnapur, Sambalpur and Brajrajnagar had on November 28 met the CM at his residence here and requested him to allot a land in Puri for a dharmasala for them.
The delegation said that Odisha Kulta Samaj has been playing a key role in establishment of Jagannath temples and promotion of Jagannath culture in villages dominated by the Kulta community in the State.
Accepting their request, Patnaik had directed the Puri Collector to identify land and ensure the project’s completion in a year.
Similarly, The CM granted one acre land at Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar and Rs 3 crore for construction of a ‘Swabhaba Kabi Gangadhar Meher Bhawan’ in memory of the legendary poet. On November 28, a delegation of the Nikhil Utkal Odisha Meher (Bhulia) Samaj had met the CM over the issue.The Bhawan would provide accommodation to the Bhulia students and patients from far-off places coming to Bhubaneswar for studies and treatments.
The CM has directed forming a committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary for organising the death centenary of the poet in 2024.