Puri Srimandir Ratna Bhandar should be opened: BJP's Bijoy Mohapatra

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s senior leader, Bijoy Mohapatra on Saturday demanded that the Srimandir Ratna Bhandar should be opened. 

Addressing a press conference, Mohapatra said, “A committee for the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar should be constituted, and at the same time, the Ratna Bhandar should also be opened.”

“The inventory of ornaments in the Ratna Bhandar is a time-consuming affair. The last time when the Ratna Bhandar was opened, the inventory took 70 days. It can never be finished in five to seven days. So the government should fix a time and form a committee,” he said. 

“The inventory of the Ratna Bhandar can be done during the time when the temple is open. The temple is not required to be shut for the inventory. In this regard, the government should take a clear-cut decision and the managing committee should also take the matter up with the government,” he observed. 

Also Read: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reiterates demand for opening of Ratna Bhandar

Odisha Congress chief Sarat Pattanayak also launched an attack against the BJD-led dispensation, saying, “They have a mindset that they are winning elections and there is none to raise a finger at them. This is why they are not caring about anyone.”

Responding to the statements of Mohapatra and Pattanayak, BJD MLA Umakanta Samantaray said, “The Chief Minister never allows illegal activities. He completes whatever tasks he takes up. Following the direction of the Chief Minister, VK Pandian, the chairman of the 5T initiative, is looking after the matter. Similarly, the district Collector, the SJTA chief administrator, and other administrative officers are working sincerely.”