Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA had planned to raise around Rs 100 crore by selling temple land to private parties in the current fiscal. However, it has failed to form a cell to go about the work.
Moreover, delay in effecting an amendment to the Uniform Policy-2003 has created a hurdle in transferring Srimandir land to private individuals.
According to sources, Lord Jagannath is the owner of 60,805.325 acre. The SJTA has sold 308.271 acre to private parties over last 19 years and generated Rs 10,12, 45, 946.
The temple administration had proposed to raise Rs 100 crore by selling Srimandir land while presenting the budget proposal of 2017-18 fiscal before the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee.
The Law department had introduced the Uniform Policy-2003 for streamlining sale of Srimandir land to interested parties. The temple administration had proposed certain amendments to the Uniform Policy-2003 last year and sent a proposal in this regard to the law department.
However, the proposal is yet to get the state government’s approval.
Delay in bringing amendments to the Uniform Policy has prevented the SJTA to settle at least 6,548 cases pertaining to transfer of ownership of temple land, said a source in the temple administration.
Revenue minister Maheswar Mohanty had recently advised the SJTA to consult the law department and expedite the process to settle cases related to temple land. However, the shrine administration has failed to convene a meeting of the land sub-committee, sources said.
“The temple managing committee had decided to constitute a land cell to deal with the cases related to Srimandir land last year. However, authorities have failed to constitute the cell. Similarly, the SJTA is yet to convene a meeting of the land sub-committee to deliberate on the cases pertaining to temple land,” added the source.
When contacted, a senior SJTA official said they have urged the state government to depute a nodal officer and some support staff for the proposed land cell. PNN