Bhubaneswar: Puri is undergoing a metamorphosis, thanks to the efforts of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. As Pilgrim City is witnessing eye-catching development after many years, people too have joined hands in the development plan of the government. Many have given their land and left their ancestral homes to facilitate building a bridge between devotees and Mahaprabhu.
On the other hand, the state government has also not disappointed the displaced. It is providing land for their house, compensation for constructing houses, and a fixed sum of money for the construction of houses for minors. As a result, the much-awaited ambitious Srimandir Parikrama Project of the government has been realised.
In this series, 62 Rath Voi servitors have been settled in the Jagannath Boulevard area.
Many Servitors as well as residents have lost their land for the development of the Srimandir Parikrama and associated development projects. Similarly, some Rath Voi servitors have lost their ancestral homes for the Jagannath Boulevard parking. A total of 37 acres and 984 decimal lands were acquired in four mauzars of Puri for Jagannath Boulevard parking and Sree Setu. Of that, four acres of government land was acquired, while the remaining 34 acres were private land. Sixty-two Rath Voi servitors lost their land for the project. The state government not only resettled them but also provided them with financial support. They have been given land on the back side of Jagannath Boulevard. To realise the far-reaching vision of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, financial assistance was provided on the advice of the 5T Chairman VK Pandian.
Sixty-two families of Rath Bhoi servitors have been settled behind the Jagannath Boulevard. A plot measuring 20 feet in width and 27 feet in length has been allotted to each member of their family aged 18 years and above. Rs 3.70 lakh were paid to each child of the family to build a house. Apart from this, the amount they spent on building their old house has also been provided. The displaced families have been allowed to stay in the house built for the museum on Jagannath Boulevard. Many charioteers have been living there for a long time. A house is being built on the recently acquired land. Many families have completed construction of their houses and are living there while construction of many houses has reached the final stage. The devotional sacrifice of these charioteers will always be remembered in the historical evolution of the shrine.
