Berhampur: Maa Budhi Thakurani temple, the presiding deity of Silk City is all set for renovation, sources informed Tuesday. The matter was discussed during the visit of District Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida to the temple, Monday. The collector went around the temple and talked to the priests about the facilities that need to be developed for the temple. He also studied the plan prepared for the renovation and upgrading of the temple and directed that the first phase of work should start immediately. Parida also directed officials to make arrangements for smooth parking of vehicles outside the temple premises.
In the second phase, he said, an eviction drive will be taken up to remove the illegal encroachments. Municipal Commissioner J Sonal of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) said an architecture agency has been assigned the task of renovation of the temple. A plan has been prepared for this purpose, he informed. Sambit Rout, Secretary, Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) said that the upgradation of the Budhi Thakurani temple will be taken up by the same artisans who had worked for renovation of the Taratarini temple. Reports said that the state tourism department sanctioned Rs 1.15 crore for renovation of the Budhi Thakurani temple in the 2014-15 fiscal.
However, funds were revoked as no work was undertaken then for the development of the temple. The district administration convened a high-level meeting and discussed June 4, this year the proposed renovation of the temple. Parida also visited the Rock Garden at Ambapua and the Gosaninuagaon Bedha embankment and held discussions on renovation and upgrading of the two sites. V Keerthi Vasan, Sub-Collector, Berhampur, Basant Kumar Padhi, executive engineer, BeMC, tehsildar Rabindra Mishra and other senior officials were present during the visit of Parida.