Ratna Bhandar will be opened tomorrow: Odisha Law Minister 

Putting the doubts surrounding the Ratna Bhandar opening to an end, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Saturday announced that the Ratna Bhandar opening process will start tomorrow. 

While briefing journalists, Harichandan said, “The high-level committee suggested a standard operating procedure (SOP). The managing committee also analysed it. The government has accepted it today. According to it, the process of opening the Ratna Bhandar will start from tomorrow.”

“The phases of the work will continue. In order to maintain transparency in the inventory of ornaments, we are seeking assistance from the Reserve Bank of India. Their representatives will be present during that time and cooperate with the team of the managing committee. The chief administrator of Srimandir has been entrusted with the responsibility to manage the process smoothly,” he added.

“A digital catalogue containing details of ornaments like their number, quality and weight with their digital photographs will be prepared. We are also preparing a digital document which can be referred to in future,” he said. 

“The government has given an SOP to the temple administration and the management committee on which basis they will take steps one by one. So the inventory will be done in a transparent manner. A team has been formed under the leadership of the chief administrator. The team will have representatives of the RBI, representatives of ASI, servitors associated with ‘bhandar’, members of the managing committee and the high-level committee,” he added. 

“The devotees won’t face any problem in having darshan of the deities nor the rituals will be affected due to the opening of the Ratna Bhandar,” he added.

"Different committees for different works have been formed. These committees will work according to the job assigned to them. Despite ruling for 24 years, the previous government couldn’t do it. We are a month-long government and we are going to do it. Mahaprabhu will help us in completing it successfully," he further added.