After ‘Ratna Bhandar’ Keys, Puri Jagannath Temple Files Go Missing! Odisha Govt Says Efforts On To Trace

By OB Bureau On Apr 19, 2023

Bhubaneswar: Amid reports of two important files of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) being untraceable, the Odisha government on Wednesday said it might have been misplaced and a probe has been launched into the matter.

Law Minister Jagannath Saraka said an inquiry into the file episode is underway and necessary action are being taken in this regard by the government.

Stating that files never go missing, Saraka said it might have been kept somewhere and steps have been initiated by the Law department to trace the files.

The state government has come under attack from different quarters after the Law department reportedly issued a circular to locate two files of SJTA that have gone untraceable. The circular was issued after the files could not be traced out despite a thorough search by the department, sources said.

This incident has triggered a row with opposition leaders reacting sharlply and hitting out at the state government over the issue. Earlier, the state government was accused of neglecting the security of the 12^th century shrine after keys of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandara reportedly went missing.

Senior leaders of opposition BJP and Congress lashed out at the BJD government over the issue raising questions over its sincerity in protecting Jagannath Temple and assets of the shrine.

Coming down heavily on the state government, veteran political leader Bijay Mohapatra claimed that the files must have been hidden by some people deliberately in order to suppress information contained in these documents.

Stating that important files cannot go missing, he said if the government thinks the files are lost, it should lodge an FIR with the police.

As per the circular issued by the Law department, two files of JTA Section bearing No-JTA-55/2006(pt) and JTA-06/2014 are untraceable in the records of JTA Section.

All sections of the department have been asked to conduct search operation in their records on a priority basis and submit the said files, if available, to JTA Section immediately for compliance of the order of the High Court.

The non-traceability of the files may also be intimated to this Section for further necessary action, department Deputy Secretary A Mahanty said in the official communique.