No decision taken to open Ratna Bhandar, says Prithiviraj

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: The Odisha government is yet to decide on the reopening of Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath temple in Puri, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said on Wednesday.

Harichandan made the statement after a senior officer of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) told the press that they were prepared to start repairing the Ratna Bhandar or treasury from July 8, adding to the speculation that it would be opened a day after commencement of Rath Yatra on July 7. “No decision has so far been taken on the opening of Ratna Bhandar,” the minister said.

The previous BJD government had promised that the Ratna Bhandar would be reopened for inventory and repair work during this year’s Rath Yatra. It was last opened 46 years ago in 1978. The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar was a major political issue in the State during the recently concluded elections.

Criticising the ASI officer, Harichandan said, “Action will be taken against him for giving wrong and misleading information.” The decision on re-opening the Ratna Bhandar would be taken after examining the matter, he said.

Meanwhile, the State government told the Orissa High Court that the Judicial Commission report on the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar would soon be made public. Former high court judge Raghubir Dash conducted an inquiry into the matter and submitted a report to the State government in 2018. A petition was filed in the High Court, seeking to make the report public.

During the hearing on the matter on Wednesday, the State government informed the court that the report would soon be tabled in the Assembly for discussion and further course of action on the basis of the recommendations in it.