The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has set a target to increase the corpus fund of the Shreemandir from Rs 650 crore to Rs 1,000 crore by 2023. “The Shreemandir now has a corpus fund of over Rs 650 crore. We have planned to enhance it to Rs 750 crore in the next year and set a target to augment the amount to Rs 1,000 crore by 2023,” said SJTA Chief Administrator Kishan Kumar on Wednesday. Since the earning from bank interest is not sufficient, other measures like putting up Shreemandir donation boxes (hundis) at airports, railway stations and other important places would be undertaken, said he.
“We are planning to generate revenue of around Rs 10 crore in the current year by granting stone quarry leases. A sum of Rs 11 crore has been allocated for the upcoming Rath Yatra.
A servitor welfare scheme will be implemented soon under which critically ill servitors and their families will be provided immediate,” he added. These decision were taken in an SJTA finance sub-committee meeting chaired by Kumar.
A budget of around Rs 202 crore for the temple for 2021-22 was approved.“We also have recommended a servitor welfare fund in which we will allocate Rs 5 crore every year.
The amount will be in a fixed account and the interest will be spent for the welfare of the servitors,” added Kumar. This apart, an outlay of Rs 50 crore was earmarked for expenditure on health emergencies of the servitors.