PURI: The district administration on Friday disbursed monthly rent to businessmen displaced during the demolition drive.
Collector Balwant Singh released `46.75 lakh as rent for the first month, which was transferred to bank accounts of 60 businessmen.
As many as 86 shop owners were displaced during demolition of unsafe buildings of Nanguli, Emar and Bada Akhada Mutts under the drive to clear all structures from 75 metre radius of Meghanad Prachir of Sri Jagannath temple.
Of these shop owners, 26 were allotted shops in Jagannath Ballav craft complex while the rest 60 were assured to be paid monthly rent to carry out their businesses elsewhere.
Earlier, all the displaced shop owners were paid `50,000 each.
The district administration has fixed `5,000, `10,000 and `15,000 as rent for shops operating within 200 sq ft, 500 sq ft and more than 500 sq ft area respectively.