Naveen Patnaik announces rehabilitation package for persons displaced during Puri demolition drive

Under the package, a housing project worth Rs 95 crore in which 600 houses of 520 sq ft area each will be constructed for the displaced people at multiple locations within 1.5 km radius of the Jagannath temple.

Even as the protests of seers in Puri continued against demolition of Hindu monasteries, chief minister Naveen Patnaik today announced a rehabilitation package for those who have lost their homes and shops to the demolition drive.

In August this year, Patnaik had announced a package of Rs 500 crore for the development of Puri as a World Heritage city. (Arabinda Mahapatra)

Under the package, a housing project worth Rs 95 crore — comprising 600 houses of 520 sq ft area each — will be constructed for the displaced people at multiple locations within 1.5 km radius of the Jagannath temple.

The iconic Raghunandan Library inside the historic Emar Mutt that was demolished last week will be rebuilt at a cost of Rs 25 crore. The three storied new library will be developed with heritage architecture and constructed on the land where the mutt was located.

In August this year, Patnaik had announced a package of Rs 500 crore for the development of Puri as a World Heritage city. He had earlier announced various projects worth Rs 265 crore for Puri under the Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture (ABADHA) scheme.