BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Tuesday urged the State Government to conduct a fresh audit of ornaments of the three presiding deities of Srimandir at Puri.Writing to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday, Leader of Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik said one and a half years have passed since the missing keys of Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove of Shree Jagannath Temple) were traced. The Government has not taken any steps to find out if any of the temple ornaments had gone missing.
“I request you to conduct an audit immediately and reassure that our Lords’ wealth is safe. The Ratna Bhandar should be opened immediately and the list of jewelleries matched with the inventory prepared in 1978,” Naik said.If any discrepancy is found with the 1978 inventory, steps must be taken to unearth the mystery, he said in the letter.
Noting that the missing of Ratna Bhandar keys has left a deep sense of suspicion in the mind of Odias and crores of Jagannath devotees living worldwide, the senior BJP leader said preparing a fresh inventory should be top priority of the State Government.
According to the inventory in 1978, Naik said the temple had more than 120 kg of gold and 221 kg of silver ornaments besides diamond and other precious stones. Though the precious jewellery and ornaments of the deities of the 12th century temple are stored in the Ratna Bhandar consisting of seven rooms, only three chambers could be opened in 2018. Keys of the other four chambers had gone missing.
Describing the appointment of a judicial commission to probe the sensitive issue of the missing keys as a worthless exercise, Naik said no significant progress has been made so far.
“The judicial commission has submitted the final report to the State Government. But unfortunately, neither any action has been taken nor the Government has initiated any step for opening the Ratna Bhandar,” the letter said.