In a major administrative development, ahigh-level meetingwas held onMonday at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswarunder the chairmanship ofOdisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhito discuss the upcoming inventory exercise for theRatna Bhandar of Puri Srimandir— the temple’s ancient treasury storing centuries-old valuables.
The meeting, convened on the third floor of the Lok Seva Bhawan complex, saw key government officials and temple administration representatives deliberate in detail on the processes and modalities for conducting the inventory and counting of treasures securely and transparently. Present at the deliberations wereLaw Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, andShree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee.
Earlier in the day, a preparatory meeting took place at the residence of the Law Minister. It was attended byJustice Biswanath Rath, the Chief Administrator of SJTA, Arabinda Padhee, and the Puri District Collector. The officials reviewed and discussed important aspects such as security arrangements, documentation protocols and procedural safeguards that need to be put in place before the inventory begins.
According to sources, a comprehensiveStandard Operating Procedure (SOP)detailing the step-by-step plan for the counting and verification process has already been drafted and sent to the government for approval. The SOP aims to ensure transparency, strict security, and adherence to all established norms before the formal inventory begins.
The Law Minister stated that thefinal decision regarding the date for the inventory and counting exercisewill be taken by the temple’s managing committee, marking a significant milestone in the long-pending process of documenting the sacred valuables held within the Ratna Bhandar
