Odisha: BJP government approves reopening of Puri Jagannath Temple gates
In its first cabinet meeting, the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha has approved the reopening of all four gates of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after the meeting at the state secretariat, Lok Seva Bhawan, on Wednesday. Majhi stated, "The state government decided to re-open all the four gates of the Puri Jagannath temple in early morning tomorrow in the presence of all ministers."
BJP fulfills election promise with temple gates reopening
Announcing the decision, the newly appointed CM said the reopening of all temple gates was a key promise in the BJP's election manifesto. The previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) administration had kept the four gates closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing devotees to enter through only one gate. This led to demands for all gates to be reopened due to problems faced by devotees from the closure of the gates.
₹500 crore corpus fund for temple conservation announced
In addition to the temple reopening, Majhi announced a corpus fund of ₹500 crore for immediate requirements related to the conservation and preservation of the 12th-century shrine. Majhi explained that the Cabinet decided to constitute a corpus fund of ₹500 crore to look after the issues related to the shrine. He also revealed that all ministers would travel to Puri on Wednesday night and stay in town so they could be present when all four gates were opened on Thursday.
State government to raise MSP
Furthermore, he stated that the state government plans to raise the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to ₹3,100 per quintal and a committee would soon be formed for implementation. The chief minister also announced that a special policy named "Samruddha Krushak Niti Yojana" will be framed within the first 100 days of the government to address problems faced by farmers, including issues related to MSP.
Subhdra Yojana to empower women with cash vouchers
Lastly, Majhi announced the implementation of the Subhdra Yojana within 100 days, under which women will receive a ₹50,000 cash voucher each. This initiative is a response to the perceived failure of the previous BJD regime's efforts to empower women and improve child welfare. Majhi added, "The departments are told to prepare guidelines and roadmaps for the implementation of the Subhadra Yojana."
