Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will introduce a new ‘Uniform Policy’ within three months to resolve disputes over lands belonging to Puri’s Jagannath Temple, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan informed the Assembly on Saturday.
The Minister explained that the state had first introduced a Uniform Policy in 2003, allowing long-term occupants to regularize temple lands of up to 100 decimals at concessional rates, with larger plots to be settled at market value. However, implementation was halted by previous governments. While a revised policy came in 2019, it now requires further modifications.
To implement the new policy, the government has formed district-level committees headed by Collectors and a high-level panel under the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). The Minister set a two-year target to complete the land settlement process, with proceeds going to the temple’s foundation fund.
Officials have identified 60,426.943 acres of temple land across 24 Odisha districts, with records already updated for 38,061.892 acres. The SJTA has also located 395.252 acres of temple land in six other states, including 322.930 acres in West Bengal.
The Minister revealed that 169.86 acres of temple land remain encroached upon in seven districts – Cuttack, Puri, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Khurda, Balasore and Jajpur. The SJTA has filed 974 cases under the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, to reclaim these illegally occupied properties after conducting proper inquiries.
