Puri Eviction Drive: Statue Of Gopabandhu Relocated

Puri: The district administration on Monday shifted the statue of Pandit Gopabandhu Das from the I&PR office of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).

“We have shifted the statue of Pandit Gopabandhu and relocated it on a pindi (podium) at a place between the Bada Chhata Mutt and Ramadaya Parishad,” Puri collector Balwant Singh told reporters here.

Referring to the eviction drive, he said demolition of Bada Chhata mutt will begin from September 3. “The revenue officials are doing the measurement of the portion of the mutt to be demolished,” he added.

The collector, however, made it clear that the administration will demolish the only unsafe portion of the mutts within the 75-metre radius of the Jagannath Temple. “The state government is aware of the heritage and temples (gadi ghar) of the mutts which will be kept intact. Apart from this, the government will provide adequate security to the heritage and the temples inside the mutts and take steps for their preservation,” he added.

Talking about the rehabilitation of the business establishments which have been demolished, the collector said 26 of 81 businessmen have been allowed to set up their establishments inside the Jagannath Crafts Complex. Efforts are on to rehabilitate the remaining displaced establishments at a suitable location in the town, he pointed out.