TV
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri has announced the launch of a dedicated website for settling land issues related to properties belonging to Lord Jagannath. The new online platform aims to simplify the process, replacing the current manual application system under the Odisha government’s Uniform Policy-2003.
Sources cited SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee explaining that this initiative is designed to help individuals occupying temple land to sell or transfer property online, streamlining land settlement cases and easing the burden on applicants.
According to official records, 60,426 acres of land belonging to Lord Jagannath have been identified across 24 districts in Odisha. Additionally, over 395 acres of land in states including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar have also been registered in the name of Lord Jagannath.
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At present, thousands of people occupy temple land without official records or land deeds (pattas) to claim ownership. The new platform will address this issue by enabling a more efficient application process for property settlements.
In addition to the land settlement portal, the SJTA plans to activate an online donation system for devotees. With mobile phones prohibited inside the temple, QR codes and UPI payment options will be available at information centres for online donations.
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The state government has indicated that small patches of land will be sold at reduced rates to current occupants, while larger encroached areas will be sold at market value. This initiative aims to establish a corpus fund of around Rs 10,000 crore for the temple. As such, the web portal is expected to bring much-needed transparency and efficiency to the land settlement process.
