By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/PURI: As many as 8 Sub-Committees have been formed for better management. The details will be issued in next few days. Sub Committees on Finance, Niti, Ratna Bhandar, Appeal, Land and Projects, Servitor Welfare, Shree Jaganath Research and Publication and Pension and Others formed, informed Dr Krishan Kumar, Chief Administrator, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Thursday after a meeting of the Temple Managing Committee which was chaired by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb. Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra, Puri Collector Samartha Verma, SP Vishal Singh and others were among those present.
As per the wish of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the Gurukul project for providing education to the children of the servitors, , SJTA Chief Administrator , Dr Kumar said, Srimandir Adarsh Gurukul Society and Srimandir Gurukul Fund for managing the educational institution will be formed. 17 acres of land at Matitota has been identified for establishment of Gurukul, for which the State Government will provide Rs 20 Crore. Teaching shall begin at the Gurukul from academic year 2022-23, he said. Gajapati Maharaj will be the Chairman of the Society. By academic year 2022-2023, the Gurukul will start function .
The Odisha Government will provide houses to the servitors of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Dr Kumar added. The houses over 8 acres of land will be provided to as many as 400 sevayat families in the first phase. An amount of Rs 2 lakh will be given to each family for building the house on 600 sq ft plot. They can invest more money for expansion of the houses, said Kumar.
Dr Kumar further informed that wheels of the Ratha Jatra chariots of the deities, which were earlier sold, will be given for free. A sub-committee will prepare the criteria for selection of the individuals/ institutions to whom the wheels shall be given.
