BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, March 17, 2021 (News Bharati): The decision of the Navin Patnaik government in Odisha to sell the land of the Lord Jagannath Temple has come under the sharp criticism from the devotees who feel that this is the betrayal of the trust of the millions of Hindu devotees. The Odisha state government has planned to sell over 35 thousand acre of land belonging to the world famous Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri. The temple, one of the prominent Hindu religious pilgrimage centers since the yore, owns a good amount of land in and around the temple and also in some nearby states.
The Minister further said that Lord Jagannath owns 60,426.943 acres of land spread over 24 of the 30 districts of the state of Odisha. Out of this, the temple administration could prepare the final Record of Rights (RoR) of over 34,876.983 acres. “In accordance with the recommendations of the committee, steps are being taken to sell out the land as per state government’s approved Uniform Policy (Saman Niti),” the Minister told the Assembly. According to sources, people who have occupied the Jagannath Mandir land for more than 30 years would have to pay US $8,250 per acre to take the temple land in possession. Those who have acquired the Mandir land for less than 30 years but more than 20 years would have to pay $12,400 per acre to purchase the plots.
More at “source.”
On March 18th, the government “clarified” that the temple committee would be involved in any land sales and that it would not solely be a government decision:
https://www.opindia.com/2021/03/shree-jagannath-temple-committee-35000-acres-land-odisha-government-reports/