Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan Sunday said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will soon begin repairing the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The ASI will first assess and repair the outer chamber of the treasury, followed by the inner chamber, he said.
“A minor correction has been made in the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the repair work and the date will be finalised soon,” Harichandan said.
He emphasised that the rituals of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities will not be disrupted during the repair work.
The Odisha government is also considering whether to perform laser scanning of the inner chamber to detect any secret compartments, Harichandan said.
Addressing the issue of duplicate keys to the ‘Ratna Bhandar’, the law minister criticised the previous BJD government for allegedly creating “unnecessary drama” around the keys to avoid opening the treasury.
“An investigation will be conducted, and those who played with the sentiments of Odia people and Jagannath traditions will be held accountable. Necessary action will be taken,” he said.
Fulfilling the election promise of the BJP, the government has initiated the process of making a list of the ornaments and valuables stored inside the treasury and repairing the structure.
A panel formed for this purpose opened the outer and inner chambers of the Ratna Bhandar and transferred the valuables to temporary strong rooms July 14 and 18 respectively.
After the repair work is completed, the valuables will be restored to their original places. The inventory will be conducted under the supervision of a committee led by former Orissa High Court judge Justice Biswanath Rath.
PTI