Strong action to be taken against people who make attempts to sell Lord Jagannath's land: Odisha Law Minister

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Sunday said strong action will be taken against all persons who made attempts to illegally encroach upon and sell land belonging to Lord Jagannath in Puri.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Saturday filed a complaint at Baseli Sahi police station in Puri alleging attempts are being made to sell land belonging to Lord Jagannath under Matitota mouza in Puri.

Speaking to media persons here, Harichandan said, "We will take strong action against all persons involved in the act. If any plot has been sold to some person, we will take stringent action against persons including seller, buyer, sub-registrar, who transferred the land." The government will not tolerate unauthorised sale of a single inch of land of Lord Jagannath in any circumstances, he assured.

The temple administration has also initiated its move in this direction, the minister said.

The government is mulling steps for settlement of Jagannath temple land available in Odisha and outside as per uniform policy formulated in 2003, as maximum land parcels are under encroachment, he said, adding, "Through this move, a big corpus fund for the temple can be created." In a statement, SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee has urged the district collector and SP to take immediate measures to stop the illegal sale attempt.

The disputed property, registered under khata no 38, comprises 109 plots that are legally owned by the deity.

The temple administration has cautioned the public against engaging in such illegal activities, warning that any attempts to transfer or encroach on temple property would lead to severe legal consequences, including punishment.

The Jagannath temple in Puri owns around 60,426 acres of land spread across 24 districts in Odisha, besides 395 acres outside Odisha.