Encroachment Found On 974 Patches Of Puri Jagannath Temple Land, Minister Informs Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar: Around 60,426 acre land in 24 districts of Odisha has been identified in the name of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, the state Assembly was informed on Saturday.

Of the total land, record of rights for over 38.061 acre has been procured by the temple administration, Law Minister Jagannath Saraka said in reply to a question by Salipur MLA Prasanta Behera.

Data available with the government showed that 60,426.943 acre land has been identified in the name of Lord Jagannath in 24 districts of which there is record of rights for 38,061. 892 acre, he said.

Similarly, 395.252 acre land is in the name of Lord Jagannath in six states outside Odisha.

As far as encroachment is concerned, 974 patches of land have been identified by the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA), the Minister said, adding that cases have been filed under Section 16A (1) of Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 under supervision of respective tehsildars.

The Minister dismissed any illegal sale of Lord Jagannath’s land, and said all transactions by the temple administration or monasteries having custody of the land in the name of the Lord, have been done in accordance with the state government’s uniform policy.