Bhubaneswar: Valuable land near the Shree Gundicha Temple and Shardhabali in Mouza Talabania, Puri, has been officially restored to the record of rights of Lord Jagannatha, thanks to an intervention by Shri Satyabrata Sahu, Member Board of Revenue Odisha.
The land, measuring approximately 1.5 acres, was originally recorded as Amrut Manohi status under the name of Lord Sri Jagannath in the Sabik records of 1889. However, the land records were later changed to private names in 2002, leading to subsequent transfers through registered sale deeds.
Taking up the matter suo motu under Section 32 of the Odisha Survey and Settlement Act, Member of the Board of Revenue, Shri Satyabrata Sahu, examined the historical records, sale deeds, and legal provisions governing temple properties.
During the proceedings, it was noted that under Section 16 subsection 2 of the Sri Jagannatha Temple Act of 1955, any alienation or transfer of immovable property under the temple’s possession requires prior approval from the state government, which was absent in this case. The legal arguments for the temple were strongly presented by Government Advocate Shri Ambika Prasad Mishra.
The Board of Revenue ruled that subsequent sale deeds and private mutations cannot nullify or cure the legal defects of altering original temple property records without due statutory authorization.
Consequent to this ruling, the settlement authorities have been directed to rectify the current and final records to reflect the land under the direct ownership of Shree Jagannatha Mahaprabhu Bije Puri, managed through the Temple Managing Committee under Amrut Manohi status.
Furthermore, instructions have been issued to the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannatha Temple to ensure the land is duly brought back under the deity’s record.