In 2017, Puri remained in news for most of the time compared to other districts. While the State Cabinet meeting at Puri figured at the top of the news as it was for the first time the meeting was held outside Bhubaneswar, there were several other incidents that kept hitting headlines for the district.
The Swargadwar burning ghat land scam, Brahmbibhrat report, lawyers’ agitation demanding revamp of law and order system paralysing the judicial machinery, recovery of Sakhigopal temple land from clutches of land mafias, sealing of a dharmsahala having link to Sikh religion by the temple, inquiry into the Amalanavami ticket sale scam, murder of two lawyers, seven encounters of dreaded criminals by police, registration of criminal cases against the viral videos of Sri Jagannath temple interior, shifting of Puri district jail from the city to Gadabagur village alongside the Puri Konark Marine Drive road and Rs 100 crore allocation by the State Government for development of the city were some prominent issues of the pilgrim city.