Puri: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who is on a three-day visit to Odisha, on Wednesday visited Baliapanda area in Puri, where the proposed guesthouse, Bangla Nivas, will be constructed.
Speaking to the media, Mamata said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had assigned Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena and Collector Samarth Verma to show her the land earmarked for the purpose. “I liked the land earmarked for a Nivas which will be built for devotees coming from West Bengal to offer prayers at Jagannath Temple. The new airport will be coming up here and also bridge. I would meet Naveen ji tomorrow and discuss the matter with him,” she said.
The Bengal chief minister further said that when Naveen had visited her for the World Cup Hockey, which was held in the state for second consecutive time this year, she had told the envoy that she would visit him during her next trip to Odisha. “This is a courtesy meeting,” she reaffirmed.
Mamata, however, refused to speak on the third front. She also visited the Jagannath temple for darshan of the sibling deities and is scheduled to meet Naveen on Thursday.
Also Read: 3-Day Odisha Visit: Mamata Banerjee To Visit Puri Jagannath Temple Today; Check Her Itinerary
Notably, the state government has allocated five-acre land along the beach for the proposed guesthouse. Reports suggested that Mamata was likely to prepare a blueprint for setting it up during her Odisha tour. Puri and its beaches have always attracted tourists from Bengal, who also visit the Pilgrim Town on a a daily basis to offer puja at 12th-century shrine. The guesthouse will offer Bengali tourists a place to stay at an affordable rate while visiting Puri.
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