By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/PURI: The Naveen Patnaik led BJD Government, which is carrying several developmental; works in pilgrimage city of Puri on Wednesday issued a notification for acquisition of land close to 12th century old Shree Jagannath Temple.
The land will be acquired under Section-4 of Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy, stated the notification issued by the State Revenue and Disaster Management Department in Bhubaneswar.
Puri District Administration sources said, near about 15 acres of land close to the Temple will be acquired. The officials’ sources said, land belongs to both Government and private parties and comprising five Sahis.
Sources said that the Puri District administration is eyeing 3 acres of land held by the State Government under Chudangasahi Mouza.
Government has already bulldozed big buildings, century old mutts and illegal encroachments within 75 meter radius from the Temple.
In first week of this month, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Supreme Court-appointed Amicus Curiae Ranjit Kumar had said that the Odisha government’s decision to remove structures within a 75-metre radius of Shree Jagannath Temple was in sync with the grand design to make Puri a heritage city.
The Puri administration had begun demolition of structures near the 12th century Jagannath Temple, including centuries-old mutts, from the fourth week of August following a Cabinet decision.
