PIL in HC to recover Srimandir's encroached land

Cuttack: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Orissa High Court seeking recovery of 56,000 acre of encroached land belonging to the Puri Sri Jagannath Temple (Srimandir).

The petition was filed by Sarat Chandra Sahu and SN Banerjee of Chandanpur in the HC pleading the court to intervene in getting back the encroached land belonging to the 12th century shrine located both inside and outside the State.

The PIL has named six persons including Chief Secretary, Revenue Secretary, Chief Administrator of the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and Puri Collector as parties.

Last month SJTA retrieved 10.17 acre land belonging to Swargadwar which was encroached upon. After hearing 170 cases, the court of the Tehsildar had pronounced the order as per the Orissa Estate Abolition Act, 1951.

Earlier in May last year, around 11.143 acre of unsettled land belonging to Swargadwar was brought back to the Temple record.