PURI: The Shri Jagannath temple managing committee approved a budget of Rs 190 crore for 2021-22 financial year at its meeting held here on Tuesday.
Chief Administrator of Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Dr Krishan Kumar said there is a revenue surplus of Rs 21 crore apart. The revenue income is pegged at Rs 106 crore while expenditure is estimated at Rs 85 crore.
On income head, he said, at least Rs 37 crore will be accrued from the interest on corpus, foundation and temple funds. Another Rs 15 crore is expected from the auction of the temple-owned stone quarries for which, necessary environment clearance has been obtained. These quarries will be allocated to the highest bidders through auction for a term of five to ten years, Kumar informed.
The temple administration is looking to earn about Rs 60 crore from land sale for various projects. "We are hopeful of adding another Rs 70 crore to the various pools such as corpus, foundation and temple funds, thereby taking the total to Rs 750 crore," he added. Currently, it stands at Rs 675 crore.
An MoU has been signed with the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) to raise and market Khondalite stones from two temple quarries which fetched very little earning. The state PSU will raise and sell the Khondalite stones which are also in demand for temple works.
More revenue is expected after revision of lease rates of 600 acre of cashew forests allocated to the Odisha State Cashew Corporation long time back. The Chief Administrator further informed that negotiations are on with Apollo Hospitals to provide comprehensive health care to temple servitors and officials. Specialists and doctors from the corporate hospital will hold camps for health check up. Besides, talks are on for discounts on medicines and diagnostic services.
A uniform policy to sell land to residents who have acquired it and residing there for decades is under active consideration. The sale policy framed in 2003, which has reported slow progress, will be simplified and rates revised. A land sale department will be formed, he said.
A new donor has offered to donate silver to decorate doors of other temples located inside Srimandir complex. Seven new online donation schemes will be launched for donors across the globe. The dress code for servitors and temple officials is expected to be introduced after Diwali. The meeting also resolved to improve quality and quantity of ingredients used in preparation of various offerings to the deities.
Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb chaired the meeting which was attended by managing committee members from the servitor community and SJTA officials.