Odisha Government Reopens Shree Jagannath Temple Gates, Sets Up Temple Conservation Fund

Odisha's BJP government has approved the reopening of all four gates of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and established a Rs 500 crore corpus fund for the 12th-century shrine's conservation. The new policies on temple access and support for farmers and women will be implemented within 100 days.

In a significant move, Odisha's BJP government approved the reopening of all four gates of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Thursday morning, alongside setting up a Rs 500 crore corpus fund dedicated to the shrine's conservation.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that the decision, one of the BJP's election promises, was made after a meeting with his ministers at the state secretariat, Lok Seva Bhawan. The previous BJD administration had kept the gates closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, causing inconvenience to devotees.

Addressing further promises, Majhi stated that the government plans to raise the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 3100 per quintal and introduce the Samruddha Krushak Niti Yojana for farmers. Additionally, the Subhdra Yojana will offer a Rs 50,000 cash voucher to promote women empowerment within the first 100 days of the government.