PURI/BHUBANESWAR: Intensifying its agitation over sale of Bagala Dharmashala land, the State BJP on Thursday launched an online petition calling upon the public to register their protest. Blaming the district administration, the BJP leaders alleged that the land of the historic dharmashala was sold illegally on the pretext of settling businessmen displaced during the demolition drive to create the 75-metre heritage and security corridor around Meghanad Prachir of Sri Jagannath Temple.
The BJP demanded scrapping of the sale deeds of the land and immediate reconstruction of the dharmashala. A protest meet was also held in front of Bagala Dharmashala gate where local BJP workers are staging dharna since the last 14 days.Participating in the protest, national BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra Patra asked all Odias and devotees of Lord Jagannath across the world to sign the online petition against the move of Puri district administration to illegally sell the land.
“The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) had floated tender under the Central scheme ‘PRASAD’ to construct ‘Jagannath Bishramsthali’ on the dharmasala land for devotees. Approval was also taken from Odisha Government, Sri Jagannath temple administration and Puri-Konark Development Council for the project. Though `3.26 crore was already spent on the `50 crore project, the State Government started selling the land by plotting it. Did the district administration take approval of the temple administration before selling the land?” Patra questioned.
In his defense, Puri Collector Balwant Singh said six persons displaced for the heritage corridor project have been given plots which constitute only 12.23 per cent of the total land of the dharmashala. “This was done after getting approval of the Government. It is up to the State Government to decide whether the dharmashala will be reconstructed or not,” Singh added.
On the other hand, the ruling BJD accused Patra of conspiring to stop the Puri heritage project by doing cheap politics. Party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said, “Did BJP launch online petition when its Government in Chhattisgarh stopped the Mahanadi water to Odisha? Now, they are conspiring to stop the Puri heritage project. The people of Odisha will strongly oppose this.”
Among others, Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty, State party spokesperson Lekhashri Samantasimhar along with the MLAs of Puri and Brahmagiri participated in the protest.