Bhubaneswar: The state government Thursday formed a fresh high-level committee, headed by a former judge of Orissa High Court Justice Biswanath Rath, to supervise the reopening of Srimandir Ratna Bhandar for its repair and inventory of valuables in it, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. Addressing the media, Harichandan said that the 16-member panel has been formed under the direction of the Orissa HC in this regard.
In March this year, the previous BJD government had formed a 12-member committee, led by retired judge of Supreme Court Justice Arijit Pasayat, to supervise the inventory of jewellery and other valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar. The BJP government has dissolved Justice Pasayat-led panel and formed the fresh committee, he said. “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 jewelleries stored in the Ratna Bhandar,” a notification issued by the Law department said. The new committee will conduct its meeting in Puri July 6 to decide the date for the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar and prepare modalities for the repair of the inner chamber and inventory of valuables stored inside it, Harichandan said. He said the panel will also decide which external agencies will be involved to examine the quality of the valuables stored in the treasury of the 12th-century shrine.
As per recommendation of the committee, the state government will decide its future course of action for reopening of the Ratna Bhandar, he added. The Chief Administrator of SJTA has been appointed a member convenor of the committee, while Puri Collector, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik, representative of the Gajapati, representatives of ASI, and former DGP Prakash Mishra are other members of the panel.