Bhubaneswar: A high-level review meeting has been held under the chairmanship of Law, Works, and Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to discuss amendments to the existing Uniform Settlement Policy, 2003. The meeting aimed at ensuring proper settlement and rehabilitation of people residing on land belonging to Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath through a structured legal framework.
Thousands of acres of land are registered in the name of Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath. In many of these areas, servitors associated with the Shree Jagannath Temple, Nijogs, and even non-servitors have been residing for years after establishing settlements there. The meeting, held at the Law Department conference hall in Lok Seva Bhavan, focused on how proper settlement arrangements could be made for servitors, Nijogs, non-servitors, and monasteries that have been living on such land for a long time.
Deliberations were also held on investigating illegal encroachments on Jagannath land and, where necessary, including such land in the auction process. Minister Harichandan said the process would help long-time resident servitors and Nijogs establish their rights over the land. He also stated that revenue generated through obtaining maximum value from encroached land could be directed to the funds of Shri Jagannath and the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Also, a discussion was held regarding a proposal to launch a dedicated television channel in the name of Lord Jagannath, revered by all Odias and worshipped by devotees across the world.
The meeting discussed the proposed channel’s structure, daily programming, expansion of Jagannath culture, and ways to reflect devotees’ emotional and spiritual connection with Lord Jagannath. Minister Harichandan described the preliminary discussions as highly positive and said the state government was seriously considering proposals aimed at spreading awareness about Jagannath culture globally, encouraging deeper research on the tradition, and bringing devotees’ experiences to a wider audience.
He added that further discussions would be held in the coming days, and a comprehensive roadmap for the channel would be prepared. Senior officials of the Law Department, including Shree Jagannath Temple Chief Administrator Aravind Kumar Padhee, were present at the meeting.
