Orissa High Court sends notice to government on dharmasala land row

CUTTACK: The legal battle over sale of Bagala Dharmasala land in Puri town by the District Collector took a new turn on Thursday with the Orissa High Court issuing notices to the State Government on BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra’s PIL claiming that the land belonged to Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu under Amrutamanohi status.

The dispute had reached the HC earlier when Puri-based activist Jagannath Bastia filed a PIL challenging sale of plots of land from the Bagala Dharmasala land measuring 2.574 acre. Bastia had alleged that the Collector had illegally executed the sale deeds in favour of six parties.

In the petition that was taken up for hearing on Thursday, Patra sought quashing of alienation of the properties of Lord Jagannath and subsequent sale of land to six persons. The petitioner also sought correction of the revenue records relating to the land in the name of Lord Jagannath.

Senior lawyer Pitambar Acharya who argued the case for Patra said, the sale of land was illegal as they were properties of Lord Jagannath under Amrutamanohi status and the transfer of the land violated the provisions of the Temple Act, 1955. Amrutamanohi lands are extensive properties endowed to Lord Jagannath but in the possession of maths and other religious/charitable institutions connected with the Puri temple as caretakers. While issuing notice to the State Government, the division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice BR Sarangi posted the matter to November 2 for analogous hearing.