The Odisha Revenue Department recently organized a high-level meeting to discuss safeguarding and restoring lands owned by the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, spread across various locations in the state. Chaired by Revenue Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee at Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar, the meeting aimed to ensure the preservation of the temple’s land.
During the meeting, the Revenue Secretary instructed officials to enforce all orders and rulings from the Supreme Court of India and the Orissa High Court related to protecting and restoring the temple’s land. Padhee emphasized the significance of safeguarding the Lord Jagannath’s properties, considering him the spiritual landlord of the Odia community.
To enhance the protection and management of the temple’s properties, a dedicated Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu Land Cell will be established within the Revenue Department, as directed by the Revenue Secretary. The meeting also addressed the necessity of rectifying land records and expediting the resolution of pending cases related to properties registered under the name of Lord Jagannath.
Discussions at the meeting included plans for removing illegal encroachments from lands under the temple’s administration, particularly in Khordha district and along National and State Highways. It was decided that a monthly review meeting on safeguarding Lord Jagannath’s properties will be conducted under the Khordha district Collector’s leadership on the first Wednesday of each month.
The meeting saw the participation of key officials including Amrit Ruturaj, Collector of Khordha; Debabrata Sahu from SJTA; senior officers from the Land Reforms Branch of the Revenue Department; and Sub-Collectors and Tahasildars of Khordha district.
