The process for clearing 75 metres radius around the Lord Jaganath temple here is scheduled to begin tonight or early tomorrow amid tight security. In the first phase three mutts –Nanguli mutt, Panjabi mutt and Utterparswa mutt would be demolished. Nanguli mutt located near the temple was declared unsafe a decade ago. At least ten shops facing the Badadanda were doing business in the mutt building. Lions gate police station officers last night had asked the shop owners operating from the mutt buildings to vacate by 1pm today or else they would not be responsible for loss
of their assets in the shop.
Police also asked the shop owners operating from Emar mutt to vacate. The shop owners were a peeved lot as they were given very short notice to shift their assets from their shops. The shop owners alleged that they were not informed by the administration about details of the rehabilitation of the families displaced and compensation package for businessmen whose shops were vacated and those who lost their livelihood.
Chanduram and Kaluram the noted cloth merchants having shops in Emar mutt building in front of the temple main gate said police officers of Simhadwar police station told them to vacate the shop at 9.30 PM last night by 1 P M today positively. They met the Additional District Magistrate and requested him to allow them some more time as it was raining and it would be difficult to shift their goods from the shop. But the ADM rejected their plea and told them to comply with the police direction as demolition would be carried out today.
Despite rain many businessmen shifted their stocks from shops last night and the rest shifted their stock today. In the first phase demolition of government buildings around the temple close to the Meghanad prachir (temple wall ) were demolished. The clean up process started on August 19 and is continuing. The general public and the shop owners welcomed the Chief Minister’s announcement to transform the pilgrim city into world heritage centre and appeal to the residents to sacrifice their interest for lord Jagannath and cooperate with the administration to make the Rs 500 crore mega project a success.
Chief minister also assured to suitably rehabilitate the displaced and those who are likely to lose their livelihood. This announcement was hailed by the residents and devotees. The project included construction of several km long trumpet bridge from Malatipatpur to Jagannath Ballav and old jail multi layer parking facility, four laning of almost all the roads to provide hassle free transport, construction of a beautiful lake, multistoried market complexes, rennovation of Narendra, Markanda, Swetganga and Indradyumna, the four holy water bodies. This apart revival of water flow in Musa and Mangala rivers will be under taken and cultural imprint of mutt culture will be preserved. District collector Balwant Singh said Mahantas of concerned mutts have agreed to co-operate with administration after the administration assured that no temple or deities worshipped in the mutt complex would be disturbed from their seat.
The business persons who lost their shops and other commercial establishments were given two options. Either they wait till development of commercial complex where they would be allotted shops on monthly rent basis or they could be allocated land in a designated commercial spot to develop their own shops, the Collector said. Development Commissioner S C Mahapatra had chaired a meeting with the district collector, superintendent of police and other concerned officers on Sunday before finalising the demolition operation plan. (UNI)
