Congress demands audit of Ratna Bhandar valuables

BHUBANESWAR: AS the controversy over missing and recovery of duplicate keys of the Shri Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar deepened, the Congress on Saturday demanded an audit of jewelleries and other valuables inside the inner chamber.

“Naveen Patnaik, please understand that the recent series of events have left a deep sense of suspicion in the minds of us Odias. We are concerned about the safety of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar. We request you to conduct an audit and reassure that our Lord’s wealth is safe,” president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik said in a tweet.

The State Government has set up a judicial probe on missing keys of Ratna Bhandar headed by retired Justice of Orissa High Court Raghubir Das. The panel will examine the sequence of events and circumstances leading to the reported non-availability of the keys of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar. Besides, the role, conduct and accountability of individuals, groups and authorities for the reported non-availability of the keys and any other matter connected with or incidental thereto as the Commission may consider appropriate including measures to be taken to avoid recurrence of such event in future will be examined.