Odisha Govt Forms Panel Headed By Justice Arijit Pasayat For Puri Jagannth Temple Ratna Bhandar Inventory

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday formed a high-level committee under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court Judge Justice Arijit Pasayat to supervise the inventory of valuables stored in Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Puri Jagannath Temple.

This came four months after the Orissa High Court directed the state government to constitute such a panel within 60 days from the date when the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) approaches it for the same.

This committee, comprising 12 members, will oversee the process of inventory of the Lords’s jewels and various valuables in the treasury of the 12th century shrine. Renowned cardiologist Dr. Ramakant Panda is the vice-chairperson of the committee.

Other members include Bidhubhushan Samal (former CMD of Allahabad Bank), AK Sabat (Chartered Accountant), a representative of Puri King Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, a representative of Archeological Survey of India, Durga Prasad Dasmohapatra (sevayat), Madhav Chandra Mohapatra (sevayat), Jagannath Kar (sevayat), Ganesh Mekap (sevayat), Puri Collector and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator.

The SJTA chief will function as member-convenor, the CMO release added.