A delegation of Jagannath Temple servitors and Congress leaders on Tuesday sought Governor Ganeshi Lal’s intervention in the eviction drive near the shrine. They alleged that shops and houses are being razed without any rehabilitation plan for the affected people.
“We met the Governor and urged his intervention as the State Government has started eviction of shops, business establishments and other structures without notices. The local people and traders want proper rehabilitation before eviction,” said Binayak Dasmohapatra, a servitor of Puri temple.
Senior Congress leader Amiya Kumar Pattanayak said they were forced to seek the Governor’s intervention as the administration has started the eviction drive without plans of rehabilitation.
Puri Additional District Magistrate BK Das, however, said the Government would rehabilitate the affected persons and traders. “We have identified alternative spaces in the municipality market and other places for the traders,” he said.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had on August 23 made an appeal to people of Puri to cooperate with the Government in the drive to demolish houses, shops and other structures near the temple.
The district administration has already razed all structures adjacent to the shrine’s boundary wall Meghanad Pacheri. Thirty platoons of police force, personnel of the Odisha Swift Action Force (OSAF) and 21 magistrates are present at the spots of the eviction drive.