TNI Bureau: The Orissa High Court has issued notice to the State Government, seeking reply on the controversy surrounding the Bagala Dharmashala in Puri.
The notice was issued on a petition filed by BJP’s National Spokesperson Dr. Sambit Patra. Next hearing on this matter has been fixed for November 2.
The BJP has been fighting this cause, seeking the Bagala Dharmashala land to be brought back to Lord Jagannath’s ownership. Sambit Patra had alleged discrepancies in the land record.
The Bagala Dharmashala was constructed by Babu Kanheyalal way back in 1904. He donated the land to Puri Administration in 1905 so that pilgrims can get accommodation facility at a cheaper rate.
In August 2020, the Puri District Administration had decided to sell around 35 decimals of the land to 6 Lodge Owners who were evicted from near the Jagannath Temple to create the 75-meter-wide security corridor around the shrine. That move snownballed into a major controversy.
