Odisha amends law to allow Jagannath Temple to sell, lease land without state’s permission

Odisha Assembly today passed The Shri Jagannath Temple (Amendment) Bill, 2022, paving way to delegate powers to the Puri temple administration and officials for hassle-free settlement of Lord Jagannath Temple land and related issues. Moving the Bill, Odisha Law Minister Pratap Jena said, “The main purpose of the Bill is to amend Section 16(2) of the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1954, which prescribes the delegation of power to grant sanction to sell or lease lands belonging to the Lord Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee.” With this Bill now passed, the temple administration have the power to sell or lease out Lord Jagannath Temple land, without any approval from the state government. Earlier, people who had occupied or were in possession of the temple land for a long period of time had to approach the state government for the sale or transfer of the land. Since the process of resolution under the Act was time consuming, the government decided to simplify the process for prompt settlement of land rights. The Jagannath Temple Act of 1954 mentions provisions of land rights of the temple, duties of the sevayat, administrative powers of the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, rights and privileges of the Raja of Puri, and other persons connected with the management and administration of the temple. The amendment approved by the state cabinet now decentralizes the power to settle land-related issues of the temple. Around 60,426 acres of land in the name of Lord Jagannath, has been identified in 24 districts across the state. Over 395 acres of land have been identified in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar as well. After the temple administration identified these lands, in 2003 it proposed that the occupants can buy the land or take it on lease from the temple rather than driving them away, reports Indian Express. So the land, in this case, can be bought by people who are already occupying land owned by the temple and have no land rights to claim ownership. The temple administration also allows the sale of land which has remained unused to eligible persons for the setting up of schools, hospitals, etc. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.