Odisha Govt Forms New High-Level Committee to Oversee Ratna Bhandar Reopening at Puri’s Jagannath Temple

GG News Bureau
Bhubaneswar, 5th July. The Odisha government has established a new high-level committee to oversee the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar at Puri’s Jagannath Temple for repair and inventory of its valuables. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced the formation of the new panel in a press conference on Thursday night (July 4), following the direction of the Orissa High Court.

In March, the previous BJD government had formed a 12-member committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Arijit Pasayat to supervise the inventory of jewellery and other valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar. The BJP government has since dissolved the Justice Pasayat-led panel and formed a new committee.

High-Level Committee Reconstituted

“A high-level committee is hereby reconstituted, under the chairmanship of Justice Biswanath Rath, to supervise the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in carrying out the inventorisation of valuables including jewellery stored in the Ratna Bhandar,” stated a notification issued by the Law Department.

The 16-member committee, headed by former judge of Orissa High Court, Justice Biswanath Rath, will meet in Puri on July 6 (Saturday) to decide the date for opening the Ratna Bhandar and prepare the modalities for the repair of the inner chamber and inventory of valuables stored inside, Harichandan said.

The minister added that the panel will also determine which external agencies will be involved to examine the quality of the valuables stored in the 12th-century shrine’s treasury. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the state government will decide its future course of action for the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar.

The chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has been appointed as the member convenor of the committee. Other members include the Puri Collector, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik, a representative of Gajapati Maharaj, representatives of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and former Odisha DGP Prakash Mishra.

The Orissa High Court had directed the formation of a high-level committee while disposing of a PIL on September 29, 2023, filed by BJP leader Samir Mohanty concerning the safety of the Ratna Bhandar.