BHUBANESWAR: The BJD has requested the Centre to exempt income tax for people who received compensation and other rehabilitation assistance from State Government against the land acquired or gifted suo motu for beautification of Jagannath Temple at Puri. The request was made by a delegation of four BJD Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs who met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at New Delhi on Tuesday.
The MPs who met Sitharaman are BJD Rajya Sabha members Prasanna Acharya, Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra and Kendrapara Lok Sabha member Anubhav Mohanty. Sitharaman is reported to have agreed to consider the proposal in this regard.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had written to the Union Finance Minister in this regard. Sasmit hoped that positive action in this regard will follow.
The State Government has launched a beautification drive in Puri and is creating a security ring within 75 metres from the temple boundary wall for which several ancient mutts, government and private buildings have been razed.
Launching the draft architectural plan in December, 2019, the Chief Minister had expressed gratitude to the people of Odisha, particularly Puri, for their cooperation and active participation in the Shree Jagannath Heritage Corridor project.