By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/PURI: BJP National Spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra on Saturday alleged about unlawful handover of Bagala Dharmasala land to private lodging owners while the Puri district administration has clarified that it is wrong to conclude that Bagala Dharmashala’s land has been sold to private lodge owners.
Dr Patra termed the Government’s move as unlawful and unwanted and added that a devotee Kanheya Lal had donated the land of Bagala Dharmashala in 1905 to cater to the needs of pilgrims and economically-backward devotees. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the upliftment of Bagala Dharmashala.
The Dharmashala’s land is not allotted to anybody, but only 12 Percent of the area has been used to rehabilitate persons who have given their land for the temple corridor project, the Puri district administration clarified in a press note.The Administration had earlier demolished a part of the dharamashala citing the need for renovation.
“The Shree Jagannath Bishram Sthali Project under PRASAD Scheme has been illogically shelved and we condemn the move of Administration to hand over land of Bagal Dharmashala to six persons”, said Puri BJP MLA Jayant Sarangi. The building of Bagala Dharmashala was running with 200 people accommodation capacity.
Bagala Dharmashala is situated over Khata No.242 & 150 measuring total area Ac. 2.738 in village Balagandi of Puri town. The land is recorded in the name of R & DM Department, Govt. of Odisha. It was previously recorded in the name of lodging House Fund Committee.
The State Government, as per the rehabilitation policy, has rehabilitated some of them on the land now belonging to the Revenue Department (which previously belonged to ‘Lodging House Fund Committee’). The rehabilitation policy has been approved by the Cabinet and the same is being executed to ensure the security of the Temple, increase in capacity as well as the provision of better quality accommodation for pilgrims so that Puri emerges as a world heritage centre.
The State Government is already constructing a Pilgrim Centre/Lodge with a capacity of 2000 for poor pilgrims. Further, the State Government is going to add lodging capacity of 8000 for poor pilgrims in Puri. Thus, the State Government is in the process of almost increasing the poor pilgrim accommodation in Puri by 50 times from 200 to 10,000. The government has already approved and implemented the R & R Policy for appropriate rehabilitation.
