The Supreme Court on Friday backed the Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government’s initiative under the ₹800 crore Shree Mandira Parikrama project to re-develop the famous Puri Jagannath temple premises to provide basic facilities for lakhs of pilgrims while dismissing a public interest litigation petition which described the work as "unauthorised and illegal constructions".
The petition had claimed that the work was happening in a “prohibited area” of the temple and had desecrated and destroyed the archaeological remains of the 12th century heritage site.
Dismissing the claims in the petition, a Vacation Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Hima Kohli held in a judgment that the redevelopment work is in public interest for the benefit of pilgrims. The State government and the Archaeological Survey of India are working in tandem, and both recognise the potential of the Jagannath temple as a world heritage site, the court observed.
