The State Government has allocated `7.80 crore for the recent Nabakalebar festival of lord Jagannath and His siblings held in Puri.
The law Department has sanctioned the amount during the current financial year to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to carry out different developmental activities in and outside the Temple like renovation of temples having relations with the Nabakalebar of the deities, beautification of the Jagannath Temple and Gundicha Temple premises, infrastructure development like construction of Nabakalebar complex, repair of watch towers and facilities for Banajag team law Minister Arun Sahoo informedthe Assembly in a written reply on Tuesday.
He said 64 development projects have been undertaken with the grant of which only Nabakalebar complex estimated `1,39,80,000 is yet to be completed.The Minister assured that the complex, the extension of the SJTA office building, would be completed this year.
Responding to a written question of Bhujabal Majhi, Sahoo further informed the House that the law Department had not requested the Union Government for grant for the mega event.
Replying to another query of Sanatan Mahakud, the Minister informed the House that `4.93 crore has been granted by the law Department for Nabakalebar festival (starting from infrastructure development, identification of Daru and rituals) to 494 Jagannath temples across the State.