In its first Cabinet meeting, Odisha’s new Bharatiya Janata Party government approved a proposal to re-open all four gates of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri early on Thursday morning.
They also decided to establish a corpus fund for the immediate requirements of the 12th-century shrine.
Addressing a press conference following his first Cabinet meeting, newly elected Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the state secretariat Lok Seva Bhawan, said, “After the formation of new government, a Cabinet meeting was called. The first proposal in the meeting was to open all four doors of the Lord Jagannath Temple as was demanded by the people. It has been decided that the doors will be opened for devotees from Thursday morning. Secondly, funds are needed for the running and development of the temple. So, we have proposed to develop a corpus fund.”
Opening all the temple gates was a promise in the BJP’s election manifesto, the Chief Minister said, adding that devotees had been facing problems due to the closure of the gates.
The former BJD administration kept the four gates of the temple closed since the Covid-19 pandemic. The devotees can enter through only one gate and there were demands that all gates be opened.
For the conservation and preservation of the temple, Majhi announced that the Cabinet has decided to establish a corpus fund of Rs 500 crore to address issues related to the shrine.
In response to a question, the Chief Minister said that all ministers would depart for Puri on Wednesday night and stay in the pilgrim town to ensure their presence when all four gates are opened on Thursday morning.
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