Safeguarding the landed properties of Lord Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu is a “collective moral responsibility” of the state, declared Revenue Secretary Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee while chairing a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan on Thursday.
The meeting focused on implementing Supreme Court and Orissa High Court directives regarding the protection and restoration of temple lands. Dr. Padhee directed officials to expedite the correction of land records (Record-of-Rights) in the name of Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu Bije, Puri, through the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), and to fast-track pending cases.
Special emphasis was laid on removing illegal encroachments, particularly on temple lands in various tahasils of Khordha district and along national and state highways. To ensure regular monitoring, the Revenue Secretary ordered that a review meeting be held on the first Wednesday of every month under the chairmanship of the Khordha District Collector.
In a significant decision, a dedicated **Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu Land Cell** will be established within the Revenue Department to strengthen protection and management of the deity’s properties. State-level review meetings under Dr Padhee’s direct supervision will also continue periodically.
The meeting was attended by Khordha Collector Shri Amrit Ruturaj, senior SJTA officer Shri Debabrata Sahu, senior officials from the Land Reforms Branch, and sub-collectors and tahasildars of Khordha district.
