Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday reviewed the ongoing development work at the Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur. The meeting, held at Lok Seva Bhawan, focused on the progress of the ambitious project aimed at enhancing the temple and its surroundings.
The development work is being executed in two phases over an 82-acre area, with an estimated investment of Rs 316 crore.
The first phase includes construction of the temple’s surrounding corridor, development of Gopaljew Math, lighting house, parking facilities, and riverfront development, along with other amenities designed to improve the experience of pilgrims and visitors.
The second phase will feature the creation of devotees’ residences, a lake zone, shop houses, a food park, additional parking, and entry pathways.
Maa Samaleswari Temple, one of Odisha’s prominent Shakti Peethas, attracts a large number of devotees, worshippers, and tourists year-round. Sambalpur’s growing prominence on Odisha’s tourism map has led to increasing visitor footfall from across the country and abroad.
Chief Minister Majhi underscored the importance of ensuring that all development work meets world-class standards. He further advised that the devotees’ residences under construction should be made multi-storied if necessary, to accommodate more visitors comfortably.
He also highlighted the need for proper rehabilitation and care of residents displaced by the development activities.
The meeting was attended by Law, Works, and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan; Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja; Principal Secretary of Works Department Sanjay Kumar Singh; Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Saswata Mishra; along with senior officials and engineers of the Works Department.
