BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday reviewed infrastructure and tourism projects in Puri and directed officials to expedite their implementation while prioritising heritage conservation and rehabilitation of street vendors.
Chairing a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan here, Majhi said the development of Puri, a major pilgrimage centre and a symbol of Odisha’s cultural identity, must take into account the needs of the local residents, temple servitor, traders and street vendors.
The chief minister directed officials to expedite work on the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport, reconstruction of Raghunandan Library and establishment of the Shree Jagannath Interpretation Centre. The meeting also decided to build a new kitchen for preparing Mahaprasad and discussed the comprehensive development of Gundicha temple and the creation of an amusement park to attract tourists.
Majhi asked officials to immediately relocate street vendors removed from the Grand Road near the Shree Jagannath temple to a designated site near Shri Setu. Several heritage and tourism projects, including the reconstruction of an iconic heritage bridge near Atharanala, redevelopment of Annapurna Theatre, beautification of Puri beach and improvement of the Swargadwar cremation ground, were also reviewed.
The meeting discussed arrangements for the evening aarti and the smooth conduct of Lord Jagannath’s traditional ‘Sagar Bije’ ritual. The government will also expedite the beautification of Gopaljew temple at Sakhigopal, Satalahadi Math associated with saint-poet Atibadi Jagannath Das and Maa Mangala temple at Kakatpur along with improving road connectivity to these religious sites.
Restoration of Satyabadi’s historic Bana Vidyalaya along traditional gurukul lines and the development of Bakula Bana were also discussed.
Road widening projects connecting Puri with Brahmagiri, Konark and Bhubaneswar came up for review along with projects related to the Shri Jagannath Medical College, Blue Flag Beach, Astaranga port and the Konark Sun Temple.
Majhi directed secretaries of department concerned, Puri collector and the superintendent of police to monitor projects on the ground and ensure completion within stipulated deadlines. He warned that delays, negligence and irregularities in implementation will not be tolerated.
