Finance
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a significant development for Puri during Lord Jagannath’s holy Rath Yatra. Given the enormous number of devotees and the city’s rising population, the state government has chosen to elevate Puri to the status of municipal corporation.
As part of this effort, a world-class Shree Jagannath Museum, library, and research center will be built in Puri. The municipal corporation will encompass approximately ten surrounding Gram Panchayats, thereby expanding the city’s size and improving facilities for residents and visitors.
With this upgrade, Puri joins Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, and Rourkela as one of the municipal corporations in Odisha. The move aims to improve infrastructure and services in the spiritual city, catering to the needs of lakhs of devotees who visit Puri throughout the year.
The Chief Minister said, “Puri will no longer be limited to the municipality areas. Its popularity will increase. Shree Jagannath culture, legends, and history will be propagated. Odia heritage will be emphasized. The state government has set a goal to provide convenience to the citizens, provide various services, and bring about a huge positive change through the discussion of tourists.”
Majhi said, “Now the Rath Yatra celebration is underway in the holy city of Puri. Mahaprabhu has already given orders called Ajnamala for the Bahuda Yatra. Everyone is providing their services under the instructions of Lord Jagannath in a smooth and safe manner. Puri Jagannath Dham is unique among all the religious places in India. Here, devotees, irrespective of caste, religion, color, or community, become one. During this holy festival that lasts for nine days, all the devotees walking in large numbers are servants.” The CM termed himself as an ordinary devotee among these innumerable Jagannath lovers.
“As the Chief Minister of the state, one of the major responsibilities entrusted to me by the people of the state is to provide quality basic amenities to the people of Puri along with the lakhs of devotees who come to Puri. I have personally felt that, for some reason or the other, the current Puri municipality has not been able to fulfill the expectations and aspirations of both the devotees and the city residents,” the Chief Minister said.
To attain this purpose, reforms must be implemented in the local self-government system. A new organization is required to manage, restructure, and sustain diverse development projects. Our administration has chosen to transform the town into a municipal corporation in order to provide better services to the devotees and tourists that visit the city throughout the year, owing to the expanding population. This will encompass around seven to eight Gram Panchayats in the Puri Sadar and Brahmagiri blocks, providing city-like facilities to the residents of these panchayats. All processes relating to this will begin tomorrow.
“Our government is committed to developing Puri as the best religious and tourist destination in the country. For this, it is necessary to build and maintain many new projects. The government has set a target to make Puri a major religious and tourist destination in the country by 2036.”
