Bhubaneswar: The State Budget for 2020-21 has laid special emphasis for making budgetary allocations for the Puri Jagannath temple and the Lingaraj temple in the state capital with the combined allocation of Rs 845 crore.
While Rs 3,208 crore has been allocated under the Augmentation Basic Amenities & Development of Heritage & Architecture at Puri (ABADHA) scheme, the state has decided to allocate Rs 695 crore in 2020-21 to give an impetus to the modernisation works going on around Puri Srimandir, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari said.
“Our beloved CM has approved the mega plan to transform Puri into a World Heritage City with projects like Shree Setu, Jagannath Ballav Pilgrim Centre, Multi-level car parking, redevelopment of municipal market…with total investment plan of Rs 3,208 crore under the ABADHA Scheme,” Pujari told the House and added, “I propose to provide Rs 695 crore in 2020-21 for ABADHA scheme.
The Finance Minister also allocated Rs 150 crore for bringing transformational changes in the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar. He claimed that the Ekamra Keshtra Amenities and Monuments Revival Action (EKAMRA) plan was another transformational initiative which intends to pedestrianise more than 65 acres around Lingaraj temple.
“The state government has worked out total investment of about Rs 700 crore for the comprehensive EKAMRA Plan and as allocation of Rs 150 crore is proposed for the purpose in 2020-21,” the minister told the Assembly.
On the other side, the government has also decided to carve out a new directorate to focus on ways to protect the historical monuments in the state. “Preservation, conservation and protection of monuments and sites are important for understanding our past. We propose to establish a new Directorate of Archeology to take up these activities in a professional manner,” the minister said.