The Odisha government is set to overhaul the administrative and land management framework of the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced on Tuesday that the state will reform the Uniform Land Settlement Policy of 2003 and introduce key amendments to the Shree Jagannath Temple (SJT) Act, 1955.
The announcement was made following a high-level meeting aimed at resolving long-standing issues regarding the temple’s vast landed properties, internal discipline and security aspects.
“It was resolved that reforms would be brought in the Uniform Land Settlement Policy of 2003, and amendments would be made and certain provisions added in the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, which is around 70 years old,” Harichandan told reporters.
Despite owning over 55,000 acres of land in Odisha and six other states, the temple has struggled to generate adequate revenue, the state minister said.
Large tracts of land have been occupied by private individuals for decades and they do not give revenue to the temple. Though these people have been occupying the temple lands for decades, they do not have land rights. In the process, neither the temple nor the persons occupying the land benefit, he further said.
ଶ୍ରୀମନ୍ଦିର ଜମି ବନ୍ଦୋବସ୍ତ ନୀତି ଓ ପରିଚାଳନା ଆଇନରେ ସଂଶୋଧନ ନେଇ ଆଇନ ବିଭାଗ ସମିଳନୀ କକ୍ଷରେ ଏକ ଆଲୋଚନା ବୈଠକ ଅନୁଷ୍ଠିତ ହୋଇଛି
ଏହି ବୈଠକରେ ଆଇନ ବିଭାଗର ପ୍ରମୁଖ ଶାସନ ସଚିବ ଡ଼ଃ ପବିତ୍ର ମୋହନ ସାମଲ, ସ୍ୱତନ୍ତ୍ର ଶାସନ ସଚିବ ଶ୍ରୀ ଭଗବାନ ପ୍ରସାଦ ସାହୁ, ଅତିରିକ୍ତ ଶାସନ ସଚିବ ଶ୍ରୀ ଶିବ ପ୍ରସାଦ ମହାପାତ୍ର, ଯୁଗ୍ମ ଶାସନ ସଚିବ… pic.twitter.com/paRU1mksyo
— Prithiviraj Harichandan (@PrithivirajBJP) December 30, 2025
In Puri, many underprivileged temple servitors living on temple land lack ownership rights. Therefore, the Uniform Land Settlement Policy, 2003 should be reformed for both the parties to get benefits. The temple corpus fund will increase once the policy is reformed, Harichandan said.
Official sources said Lord Jagannath owns 60,426.943 acres of land across 24 districts in Odisha, and another nearly 395.252 acres of temple land were in six states, including West Bengal (322.930 acres), Maharashtra (28.21 acres), Madhya Pradesh (25.11 acres), Andhra Pradesh (17.02 acres), Chhattisgarh (1.7 acres) and Bihar (0.27 acres).
The minister also informed the meeting also deliberated on necessary amendments to the SJT Act to ensure disciplined rituals, worship, and administration. Key proposals included forming sub-committees for better governance, enforcing strict rules against disorderly conduct, and banning items such as mobile phones and cameras from the temple premises.
A senior official said that the state law commission has already held two rounds of talks on the matter and made certain suggestions to include some provisions to make strong laws to streamline discipline in the temple.
The meeting today also laid emphasis on promoting awareness among devotees to maintain decorum and sanctity of the shrine by wearing appropriate Indian attire during visits to the temple.
The meeting also discussed the matter of taking legal measures against those spreading misinformation about Shree Jagannath culture or engaging in defamation on social media, he added.
