Odisha CM orders judicial probe into missing Ratna Bhandar keys
Bhubaneswar, June 4: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday ordered a judicial probe into the circumstances leading to non-availability of the keys of Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Jagannath temple in Puri.
The inquiry will be conducted by a retired judge of the Orissa High Court and be completed within three months, said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.
The decision was taken when Law Minister Pratap Jena met the Chief Minister at the state secretariat to discuss the issue.
The judicial probe will find out the circumstances leading to the missing of the treasury keys and further steps will be taken after the probe is over, said Jena.
The non-availability of keys of Ratna Bhandar (treasury) had drawn flak, with Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati of Govardhan Peeth having demanded a probe into the case.
At a meeting of the Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee on April 4, it was recorded that the keys of the inner chambers of the treasury had gone missing.
As per norms, the keys are handed over to the District Collector after locking the temple treasury. The keys are then deposited in the district treasury. However, there was no mention of receipt of keys either in the government treasury or with the Collector, said sources.
A 16-member team had on April 4 entered the Ratna Bhandar after 34 years to inspect its physical conditions following an order of the Orissa High Court. However, they could not enter the inner chambers as they did not have the keys. They returned after completing the inspection of outer chambers, sources added.
Meanwhile, the Congress took a dig at the state government over the missing key issue.
"Judicial inquiry is restricted to announcement only as the mandate of the commission is not clear. This is an attempt to divert attention from core issue," said Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Niranjan Patnaik.
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Mangaluru’s Karavali Utsava is back; Cultural, beach events lined up, here’s the complete schedule
Mangaluru: This year’s Karavali Utsava will commence on December 20, with a wide range of cultural, adventure, and tourism-focused programs planned across Mangaluru and other parts of the Dakshina Kannada district, Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. said.
He was speaking while presiding over a Karavali Utsava preparedness review meeting held at the District Commissioner’s office.
The main event will be held at the Karavali Utsava grounds in the city. In an effort to promote beach tourism, special programs will be organised at six beaches across the district, which include Panambur, Ullal, Someshwara, Sasihitlu, Tannirbhavi, and the Blue Flag Beach.
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Outlining the schedule, the Deputy Commissioner said adventure sports will be held at Sasihitlu Beach, while a wine, cheese, and cake festival will take place at the Tannirbhavi Blue Flag Beach.
A music festival and triathlon are planned at Tannirbhavi Beach. Football, volleyball and other sports events will be organised at Ullal Beach, cultural programs at Panambur Beach, and a music evening and yoga program at Someshwara Beach.
In addition, food festivals featuring a variety of local and regional cuisines will be held at all beaches. The Kala Parba program and a flower and floriculture exhibition will be organised at Kadri Park, while a film festival is also planned in Mangaluru city.
A football tournament will be held at Nehru Maidan on December 27 and 28, and special programs will be organised at Pilikula Nisargadhama. To attract tourists, helicopter joyrides have also been arranged, the Deputy Commissioner said.
The review meeting was attended by Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Narvade Vinayak Karbari, Mangaluru Deputy Divisional Officer Meenakshi Arya, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mithun H.N., Deputy Conservator of Forests Antony Mariappa, and other officials.
