Bhubaneswar: Just two hours after taking charge, new Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi convened the first meeting of his Council of Ministers and then State Cabinet and decided to open all four gates of Shree Jagannath temple Puri from 13 June.
It was a promise made by the BJP in its election manifesto and top BJP leaders had also announced it during campaigning in the State.
Devotees from the whole world and India are visiting the Jagannath temple at different times. Out of four doors, three doors have been closed down for the devotees. For this, a distance was created between the Lord Jagannath and devotees. So, it was decided at the Cabinet to open all four gates of the temple, the Chief Minister said while briefing media persons after the meeting inside the State Secretariat.
All the members of the Council of Ministers have been requested to visit Puri tonight so that the temple gates will be reopened during Mangal Alati in their presence, he said.
Different issues related to 4.5 crore people of Odisha, Odia Asmita, some issues of farmers and women were also discussed in the Cabinet. Four proposals have been approved in the meeting.
Informing about the second proposal, Shri Majhi said a Corpus Fund worth Rs 500 crore will be created for development, maintenance, and beatification of Jagannath temple, announced the new Chief Minister.
He also informed that the third proposal was related to the development of farmers. The government has decided to bring Samrudh Krushak Niti, under which the farmers will be given Rs 3100 for selling one quintal of paddy to the government, Shri Majhi said.
Concerned department has been asked to prepare the policy and guidelines to implement it within 100 days, he added.
The last proposal was related to Women and Child Development. The new government has decided to implement its poll promise scheme Subhadra Yojana in 100 days. Under the scheme, each poor woman will get a cash voucher of Rs 50,000, which she can encash within two years. Concerned department has been directed to prepare the detailed proposal and guidelines of the scheme, the CM said.