Puri: One thousand rooms and dormitory with basic amenities styled as ‘Bhakta Niwas’ would be built on a six-acre land in Matitota area here to provide low cost accommodation to pilgrims, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Krishan Kumar said, Friday.
He said efforts are on to get all 60,000 acres of endowment land recorded in favour of Lord Jagannath. Till date, about 36,000 acres of land had already been recorded in favour of the deity.
An architect would be appointed to prepare a project report for several developmental projects to be undertaken in and around 75-metre of the Srimandir for heritage and security corridor.
After approval by the state government, the project report would be submitted in the Supreme Court with a plea to direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to grant clearance for the execution of the development project.
The 12th century edifice has been declared as a centrally protected monument and the ASI has been entrusted to repair and preserve the temple since 1974.
Kumar was speaking to the media after the Temple Managing Committee meeting, convened here, discussed the direction of the Supreme Court to the temple authority to submit report on 23 points.
The apex court in an interim judgment had directed the temple administration to develop and create various pilgrim facilities in Srimandir on 23 points to provide better facilities for pilgrims visiting the shrine.
The SJTA chief administrator said that punitive actions as per the Temple Act would be initiated against the servitors who did not open the temple main door causing disruption in observance of rituals of the deities after the panel submit its findings.
Corporate sector, he said, would be approached to generously contribute for various temple projects from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.
The temple authority would also appeal to rich devotees to sponsor some projects like construction of ‘Adarsh Temple School’, pilgrim shelter building, beautification of heritage corridor and other similar projects.
Kumar said two separate set of regulations for Anand Bazar and temple kitchen would be enforced soon.
He said rate chart of Mahaprasad has been finalised and would be notified after Law department endorses the temple proposal. A school for wards of temple servitors would be constructed on 15 acres of land at an allocation of Rs 5 crore.
A financial sub-committee would take stock of the gold, silver and temple fund deposited in various public sector banks and would recommend for its fruitful investment.
The 1984 inventory of gold ornaments and precious gem stones kept in the Ratna Bhandar (temple treasury) would be presented before the Supreme Court, Kumar said.
Efforts to provide hassle-free darshan and basic amenities to pilgrims besides introduction of queue system are on.
A huge canopy along the Grand Road is nearing completion to protect devotees from rain and sun while standing in queue. Toilets and drinking water points would be installed within the 75-metre heritage corridor.
The temple body meeting was attended by Development commissioner Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, district Collector Balwant Singh, superintendent of police Umashankar Dash, Endowment commissioner and servitors.
While Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, the chairman of the body, presided over the meeting, Kumar presented the report in the meeting.