Odisha cabinet’s historic decision on settlement of Jagannath temple land

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to Shree Jagannath Temple Act 1954 for immediate settlement of Jagannath land-related issues.

Bringing an Ordinance to amend the Act, the Cabinet delegated powers to temple administration and concerned officials for sale, lease of land in name of Lord Jagannath.

“The state government has decided to amend the Shree Jagannath Temple Act 1954 to remove certain restrictions therein and to delegate powers to officials at different levels to facilitate speedy disposal of cases relating to alienation of immovable properties/lands belonging to the temple/ Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee,” read a press brief.

The process under the act was time-consuming and took almost three to four years. Thousands of applications under the uniform policy introduced in 2003 for registration of the land in Puri and Khurda districts had also been pending with the state government. The Cabinet has decided to confer prompt land rights by decentralising the process,” Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra said.

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