Bhubaneswar, February 19 – The Odisha Revenue Department held a high-level meeting on Thursday to discuss the protection and restoration of land belonging to the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is located in various parts of the state.
The meeting was held at the Lok Seva Bhavan here, under the chairmanship of Revenue Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee. According to an official statement, the objective of the meeting was to ensure the protection of land belonging to Lord Jagannath.
During the meeting, the Revenue Secretary directed officials to take necessary steps to ensure the effective implementation of all orders and judgments of the Supreme Court of India and the Orissa High Court concerning the protection and restoration of land belonging to Lord Jagannath.
"Lord Shree Jagannath is considered the supreme spiritual landlord of our Odia community. Therefore, safeguarding all his landed properties is our collective moral responsibility," said Padhee.
The Revenue Secretary also directed the establishment of a dedicated Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu Land Cell within the Revenue Department to strengthen the protection and management of the Lord's landed properties.
He also emphasized the need to correct the land records (Record-of-Rights) of all landed properties registered in the name of Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu Bije (Lord Jagannath), Puri, through the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), and for the expeditious disposal of pending cases.
Official sources also informed that discussions were also held during the meeting regarding the eviction of illegal encroachments from lands under the administration of the 12th-century shrine, particularly in various Tahsils of Khordha district and along National and State Highways.
The revenue department officials also agreed that a review meeting on the protection of Lord Jaganath's landed properties will be held on the first Wednesday of every month under the chairmanship of the Collector of Khordha district.
The meeting was attended by Amrit Ruturaj, Collector of Khordha; Debabrata Sahu, a senior officer of SJTA; and senior officers of the Land Reforms Branch of the Revenue Department, as well as Sub-Collectors and Tahsildars of Khordha district.