StatesOdisha
Majhi orders faster work on Puri airport and heritage projects
Odisha's Chief Minister reviewed plans to remake the temple town, from a new airport and wider roads to a Jagannath interpretation centre, and warned officials against delay.
Key points
- Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told officials to speed up the Sri Jagannath International Airport at Puri.
- Plans include a Jagannath interpretation centre, a new Gundicha Temple kitchen and wider roads to Konark, Brahmagiri and Bhubaneswar.
- Majhi said no delay or irregularity would be tolerated and asked the Collector and SP to supervise work on the ground.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday ordered officials to speed up a long list of projects meant to turn Puri into a heritage and tourism city of world standard, while protecting the livelihoods of the people who live and work around the Jagannath Temple.
At a review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Majhi went through plans for the Sri Jagannath International Airport, whose construction he asked to be expedited, along with the rebuilding of the Raghunandan Library and a new Sri Jagannath interpretation centre.
“Puri is not just a district; it is the centre of faith for Odisha’s pride and crores of Jagannath devotees worldwide.”
What is planned
The blueprint covers the town’s bridges, beach and temples. The Gundicha Temple is to be developed, including a new kitchen for preparing Mahaprasad. Street vendors removed from the Bada Danda, the Grand Road, are to be relocated near Sri Setu on an emergency basis.
Other works include an iconic heritage bridge near Atharanala, redevelopment of the Annapurna Theatre, beach beautification, an evening aarti and better facilities at Swargadwar, and a new amusement park. Roads from Puri to Brahmagiri, Konark and Bhubaneswar are to be widened. The meeting also reviewed the Sri Jagannath Medical College, the Blue Flag beach, the Astaranga port and projects around the Konark temple.
Beyond the town, the government wants faster beautification and road links at the Sakshigopal temple, the Maa Mangala Temple at Kakatpur and several maths, and the restoration of the Satyabadi Vana Vidyalaya on the old gurukul model.
A warning to officials
Majhi said no negligence, delay or irregularity would be tolerated. He told the Puri Collector, Divyajyoti Parida, and Superintendent of Police, Pratik Singh, to supervise work on the ground and meet deadlines, and asked that sevayats, traders and residents be given priority so that the schemes benefit them directly.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg and Development Commissioner D K Singh were among those at the meeting.