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Chief Minister lays foundation stone of seven projects of Puri World Heritage City

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Puri, Jan 16 (LocalWire): Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday laid the foundation stones of Shree Setu project and Jagannath Ballav Pilgrim Centre here.

The Shree Setu project worth Rs.181 crore will cover over 2-3 km. It will provide a direct access to the Jagannath Ballav Piligrim Centre from NH 316 and aimed at checking traffic congestion.

The Rs 190 crore pilgrim centre near Narendra Kona will be a six-storey building with multi-level parking for 1,000 cars.

The others projects under Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture (ABADHA) scheme include a multi-level car parking on Jail Road near the Hospital Square, re-development of Municipal Market near Bada Danda, vending zone on sea beach and a centralized kitchen, sources said.

In October last year, the chief minister had announced various developmental and beautification projects to transform Puri into a world-class heritage city.

The Cabinet has also approved projects worth Rs 3,200 crore for infrastructure development in the city over a period of three years.

Earlier, he offered prayers at the Jagannath Temple and reviewed the developmental work and beautification project of Puri.

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Puri wins National Award for plastic waste management

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Puri, Jan 12 (LocalWire): Puri district has received another feather in its cap by winning the National Award for ‘plastic waste management’ from the department of drinking water and sanitation under the ministry of water resources during an award ceremony in Delhi today.

Bollywood actor and founder of Panni foundation, Aamir Khan, handed over the award to an official of Puri district during ‘Open defecation free sustainability workshop’ under Swachhata Hi Seva 2019 campaign.

Swachhata Hi Seva, a massive countrywide awareness and mobilization campaign, on cleanliness, with special focus on ‘plastic waste awareness and management’, was organized from 11 September to 2 October 2019.

Puri, Dibrugarh in Assam, Sirmur in Himachal Pradesh, and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, whose contribution reflected in the effective management of plastic waste were nominated for this award.

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Puri gang rape case : police file chargesheet in 20 days timeframe

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Bhubaneswar, December 23 (LocalWire) :In an attempt to expedite the trial of the much-publicized gang rape case of a minor girl, Puri police today filed charge-sheet of the case within 20 days of the commission of the crime.

The gang rape was committed at a quarters allotted to a lady constable on December 3 and the charge sheet was submitted before the court today, exactly 20 days after the arrest of the accused persons, said Puri Superintendent of Police, Umashankar Dash.

The accused persons against the charges were framed today are dismissed police constable Jitendra Kumar Sethy, Rajesh Kumar Sethy, CRPF Jawan Bulu Barik, Rama Chandra Pradhan, Ranjit Parida and Sefali Parida.

The investigating officials have done a commendable job in filing foolproof charge-sheet of the case within 20 days timeframe.

The case is now under trial in a fast track court.

We are hopeful of conviction of the arrested accused persons expeditiously, SP Dash said.

The gang rape that was committed in residential quarters in police colony in Puri was earlier solved 24 hours after the commission of the crime.

Jitendra Sethy who masterminded the crime was a constable who was earlier terminated from service on professional misconduct and acts of indiscipline.

The victim was there at the bus stoppage at Nimapara waiting for Kakatpur-bound bus to reach home when she had fallen into trap laid by ex-cop Jitendra and his accomplices on December 2.

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State to use GIS for mapping of land owned by Jagannath temple

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Bhubaneswar, Dec 20 (LocalWire): The state government will use the Geographical Information System (GIS) to prepare the record of rights of over 60,000 acres land owned by Puri Jagannath temple.

The 12th-century shrine is the legal custodian of 60,418 acres or 244.5 square kilometre area both within and outside the state.

‘Of the over 60,000-acre land, the temple administration has prepared the ROR of nearly 38,000 acres.

The record of rights of the rest of the land is being prepared and to make the process foolproof, GIS will be used for proper demarcation of the Lord’s land,’ chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Kishan Kumar said.

The temple in Puri also owns mines and quarries besides huge immovable assets in the form of landed property spread across the country.

The ‘affluent’ status of the Lord come to light recently in the wake of a report furnished by amicus curiae, appointed by the Supreme Court to assist it in the matter related to Jagannath temple administration.

The Supreme Court had directed the state government to prepare an inventory of landed properties and submit it details and the income the temple is generating from them.

The court in a ruling, on 5 November, had further ordered preparation of the record of rights of the Lord-owned land within six months and its submission before the court.

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State to build Odia University headquarters at Satyabadi

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Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 (LocalWire) The Odisha cabinet on Monday decided to set up the headquarters of the proposed Odia University at Satyabadi in Puri district.

“As per the existing provisions of the section 3(3) Odia University Act, 2017 the headquarters of the university shall be at Bhubaneswar.

Since the heritage cabinet on 27 July, 2018 has decided to establish the university at Satyabadi, the state cabinet has approved to amend the provision”, the chief secretary Asit Tripathy said after the cabinet meeting.

It was decided at the cabinet meeting to refurbish the historical Bakula Bana Vidyalaya at Satyabadi into a centre of learning and its sylvan environment will be protected and developed into a great heritage site.

An ideal centre of learning, Bakula Bana Vidyalaya was set up by the five iconic leaders – Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, Acharya Harihar Das, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Pandit Godabarisha Mishra and Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra, popularly known as ‘Pancha Sakha’.

Considering the immense fame of the institution, the state government had decided to set up a Odia University to propagate the ideals of the ‘Pancha Sakha’.

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CRPF jawan held in Puri gang rape

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Puri, Dec 8 (LocalWire) Police on Sunday arrested a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan in connection with alleged gang rape of a minor girl in a police quarter here on December 2.

The jawan identified as Bulu Barik was arrested by a special squad of police from Rayagada district, said Puri superintendent of police Umashankar Dash.

He is the fourth accused in the case arrested so far. Three other persons, including a dismissed police constable identified as Jitendra Sethy, were accused of raping the 17-year-old girl inside a police quarters near Jhadeswari Club in the temple town, were held earlier.

The police quarters was allotted to the dismissed constable Sethy’s wife, who is also a constable..

The victim was waiting for a Kakatpur-bound bus at the bus stop at Nimapara when she had fallen into the trap laid by Sethy and his accomplices. Sethy had offered the girl a lift in his car and brought her to the quarters, the sources said.

The girl had claimed that she was raped by two persons and two others left the scene by closing the door from outside. She managed to flee from the police quarters as the accused were in an inebriated state.

However, all the four were booked on rape charge as they either sexually assaulted her or abetted to the crime.

The case will be referred to a fast track court for expeditious trial. Police will file the charge sheet charge in the case in next 20 days, the sources said.

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Authorities renew demolition drive outside Jagannath temple

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Puri, Dec 4 (LocalWire): Puri district administration today renewed its drive to free the Meghanada Pacheri (compound wall) of the 12th century Jagannath temple to ensure the safety and security of the holy shrine.

The Urban Local Body (ULB)-run Municipality Public Health Centre is being bulldozed today as the structure fell within the 75-metre territorial security zone. The administration has already provided land for its relocation to another spot, Puri Collector Balwant Singh said.

As part of the drive to ensure the safety of the 12th-century shrine, Emar Mutt, Languli Mutt, Raghunandan heritage library besides other Mutts (monasteries) and commercial establishments have already been razed since 27 August last.

The bulldozing of the permanent structures within a 75-metre radius of the Meghanada Pacheri (compound wall) is being carried out in pursuant to ruling by a committee headed by retired judge of Orissa High Court BP Das who recommended removing such structures early this year. The state cabinet had also accorded its seal of approval to the demolition exercise.

The district administration is abiding by the direction issued by the state Cabinet which approved the demolition of these illegal structures along the temple boundary wall.

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Former cop, accomplice arrested in Puri gang rape case

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Puri, December 3 (LocalWire): The police have arrested two persons, including an ex-constable and have detained five others on charge of committing gang-rape of a woman in the pilgrim town on Monday.

“Police are moving in the right direction of cracking the crime. Two special squads have been constituted for the purpose to bring the case to a logical conclusion.

The mass sexual assault happened in the quarters allotted to the ex-cop Jitendra Sethy, who was the masterminded behind the crime.

He has been arrested along with one of his accomplices,” Puri superintendent of police Umashankar Dash told the LocalWire.

Four suspected accused persons have also been detained in connection with the gang-rape, sources stated, adding that the former constable Sethy had earlier been terminated from the job due to serious breach of discipline.

According to preliminary investigations, Sethy had posed as a policeman and offered the woman a lift in his car and brought her to the quarters near the Jhadeswari club in the town.

The victim was at the bus stop at Nimapara waiting for Kakatpur-bound when she fell into the trap laid by Sethy and his accomplices, Dash said.

Forensic and scientific teams have gathered vital and incriminating evidence from the crime spot. Besides the victim, both arrested accused have been subjected to a medical examination.

“We are on the job to make it a foolproof case so that the perpetrators of the crimes do not go unpunished, Dash said.

He, however, refused to reveal further details of the crime as it may hamper the investigation process.

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75 percent land acquired around Jagannath temple

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Bhubaneswar, Dec 2 (LocalWire) Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced that the administration has acquired 75 per cent land within 75-metre radius of Meghanad Prachir, the compound wall of the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri.

In 40 days, 75 per cent of private land has been acquired; Patnaik said extending gratitude to traders, hotel owners who have given away their land.

It’s a sacrifice on their part which has resulted in one of the successful land acquisition of the country, he said.

Patnaik also expressed appreciation towards the government officials and employees who worked wholeheartedly without leave for the successful land acquisition work around the temple.

Earlier the unauthorized structures around the Jagannath temple had been demolished in a month-long exercise.

The notification for the acquisition of land had been issued today in accordance with the legal provisions. The land acquisition process has been hassle-free and unhindered with landowners extending cooperation in this regard, officials said.

300 families who were affected by the eviction are being adequately compensated as per the rehabilitation package announced by the government. Rs 95 crore housing project for the oustees has been approved by the government.

The proposed housing project with each dwelling unit of 520 square feet area will be within 1.5 kilo radius of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, the officials added.

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Guard’s gun goes off in bank, hurts one

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Puri , November 29 (LocalWire): In a freak mishap, a customer of a nationalized bank in Puri was injured at the bank’s premises when a security guard’s gun went off accidentally today afternoon.

The incident occurred at the Bank of India branch premises when the security guard identified as Ajay Moaharana was loading his gun with bullets.

The bullet accidentally fired from the gun hit the lower limb of the customer identified as Munal Khan.

The injured person was shifted to nearby hospital and is stated to be out of danger.

Police have detained the security Moharana and have made the seizure of the gun. Maharana is being questioned, police said.

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