Bhubaneswar: The Odisha High Court has delivered a favourable verdict for the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in a case related to the temple’s land assets. The case involved a review petition filed by the temple administration regarding 15 acres of valuable land in Kuntia Maujar, Jatni Tehsil, Khurda district.
The SJTA Chief Administrator, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, welcomed the court’s decision, stating that the temple administration is committed to protecting the land assets of the temple with complete transparency. The directions given by the Court will set a guideline for the management of the land assets of the temple in the coming days, and we are committed to strictly complying with it, Dr. Padhee said.
He further emphasized that the temple administration will not tolerate any attempts by vested interests to encroach upon the temple’s land. “The greedy gaze of any vested person or institution will not be tolerated. The land of the temple will be protected in accordance with the policy of the state government and the Sri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955,” he added.
The temple administration was represented by Advocate Anand Chandra Swain, while Advocate General Pitambar Acharya argued strongly on behalf of the temple administration in court. Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee himself appeared in court to argue in favour of protecting the temple’s land assets.
