Bhubaneswar: Amid increasing demand for opening of Ratna Bhandar (treasure house) of Jagannath temple in Puri, BJP leader Samir Mohanty has filed a PIL in this regard in the Orissa High Court.
With Odisha government not taking any steps on the demand despite ASI and Puri king Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingh Deb expressing concern over the dilapidated condition of the Ratna Bhandar, former Odisha president of BJP Mohanty filed the public interest litigation (PIL) at the High Court.
Mohanty has sought the High Court’s intervention in directing the government to open the Ratna Bhandar to carry out necessary repair works and doing a fresh inventory of the ornaments of the deities stored there since long.
The BJP leader has made Chief Secretary, Gajapati Maharaj, Home Secretary, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Law Secretary, Puri Collector, director general of ASI and CBI Director as opposite parties to the PIL.
Mohanty has also sought the High Court’s direction to file a criminal case against former Puri district collector during whose tenure the missing key of Ratna Bhandar was found and a CBI investigation into the case.
The Congress has also raised the issue with its senior member and MLA Narasingha Mishra reiterating his demand. “When I was a minister, I had tried for opening of Ratna Bhandar, but failed. A lot of pressure was put on me at that time. Now I demand that the Ratna Bhandar must be opened,” he said.
Similarly, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanaik questioned the government’s reluctance in opening the Ratna Bhandar. “Gajapati Maharaja, Shankaracharya and servitors want opening of Ratna Bhandar. Why is government silent?,” he asked.
Last month Gajapati Maharaj had told the media that the Ratna Bhandar was in bad shape as cracks had developed in its inner wall and rainwater was seeping through those. “As per the Endowment laws, the inventory of ornaments kept in the Ratna Bhandar should be taken from time to time. But this has not been done. The temple managing committee has already requested the government to reopen the Ratna Bhandar for repair work. But no decision has been taken by the government,” he had said.
In April 2018, a 16-member team including experts of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inspected the structure and reported that its condition was weak.
It may be noted that on the direction of the High Court on March 22, 2018, an attempt was made to open the inner chambers of Ratna Bhandar on April 4, 2018. But the Ratna Bhandar could not be opened as its keys had reportedly gone missing.
