Odisha's Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan has announced that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will soon commence repairs of the treasure vault (Ratna Bhandar) at Puri's Jagannath Temple. He mentioned that the ASI will first assess and repair the outer chamber of the vault, followed by the inner chamber.
Harichandan stated, 'Minor improvements have been made to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for repair work, and the date for commencement will be decided soon.' He emphasized that the rituals of Lord Jagannath and his divine brother will not be disrupted during the repair work. Harichandan also mentioned that the Odisha government is considering whether to conduct laser scanning of the inner chamber to detect any secret compartments.
Regarding the issue of duplicate keys to the vault, the Law Minister criticized the previous BJD government, saying that unnecessary drama was created to avoid opening the treasure. An investigation will be conducted, and those who toyed with the sentiments of the Odia people and Jagannath traditions will be held accountable. Necessary actions will be taken.
The Law Minister further added, 'Fulfilling BJP's election promise, the government has started the process of documenting the jewelry and valuables stored inside the vault and repairing the structure. A panel formed for this purpose opened the vault's outer and inner chambers on 14th and 18th July, moving the valuables to a temporary strong room.'
Prithviraj Harichandan said, 'Once the repair work is completed, the valuables will be placed back in their original locations. This documentation will be overseen by a committee chaired by former Odisha High Court judge Justice Bishwanath Rath.'
