Santosh Singh Saluja, a senior member of the Congress, called on the state administration on Friday to reopen the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha.
Saluja stated during Zero Hour in the Odisha legislature that Lord Jagannath’s followers were curious as to whether or not the deity’s jewellery and other treasures were kept in a secure location.
He requested the Speaker to request that the state government open the Ratna Bhandar and complete the required treasury renovations. Saluja also urged that a public inventory of the jewels kept in the Ratna Bhandar be made.
The Congressman also asked Speaker B.K. Arukha to instruct the state government to present the Justice Raghubir Dash Commission’s report, which was established to look into the event involving the temple’s Ratna Bhandar’s missing keys.
“During the last 21 years of its control, the BJD administration has established 24 Commissions of Inquiry on various problems at a cost of crores of rupees. It is regrettable that eight Commissions have still not turned in their reports. On the other side, the government keeps extended their term,” he remarked.
Speaking to reporters outside the home, Saluja claimed that even Puri ruler Dibyasingha Deb had voiced concern about Ratna Bhandar’s physical state. He continued that the king has also asked that the treasure’s jewels be made public.
The Ratna Bhandar was inaugurated in 1978, according to earlier information provided to the house by former law minister Pratap Jena. It contained more than 12,831 “bhari” of gold and 22,153 “bhari” of silver at that time (one bhari equals 11.66 grams).
12,831 grammes of gold jewellery with pricey stones and other costly metal items were kept in the storage. Likewise, 22,153 grammes of silver were discovered along with pricey stones, silver cutlery, and other treasures.
However, due to various circumstances, 14 gold and silver pieces could not be weighed when the inventory was being made. The worth of the objects was not determined throughout the procedure; the minister had.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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