Bhubaneswar, Dec 29: At a time when Shrimandir Parikrama Prakalpa (Heritage Corridor Project) is still going on bypassing three dates announced by top officials in the last year, the State Government's eagerness to inaugurate the project early has raised eyebrows.

While the State administration had said the Parikrama project would be completed by December 15, works are still going on. Earlier, Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra had projected April 2023 for completion of the works. Thereafter, the OBCC Chairman told the media that efforts were on to get the project completed in October 2023.

"All the projected dates have passed but Parikrama works are still going on," ridiculed many.

The recent statement of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief Ranjan Kumar Das is more ridiculous, they said.

It may be noted that the SJTA Chief Das told reporters that Srimandir Prakalpa is a dynamic project, which has a beginning but no ending. It will continue depending on the needs of the temple and the people.

Meanwhile, people belonging to different walks of life have reacted strongly to the proposed inauguration of half-done Parikrama work. Many have even questioned if the scheduled 'all-in-a-hurry' inauguration is not meant to satiate the State government's aspiration of taking political mileage as it would take place five days before the scheduled inauguration of Shriram Temple at Ayodhya on January 22.

Local MLA Jayant Kumar Sarangi said the Odisha government is in a hurry to inaugurate the half-done project from the political point of view.

"It will take another year to complete the work. However, the government wants to inaugurate the project on political considerations. Lord Jagannath will never forgive," said Sarangi.

Senior Daitapati servitor Binayak Das Mohapatra said the works are going on hastily. The project work should be completed within the stipulated period and permanence of the work should be ensured. Locals have suffered a lot due to the work which is going on for the last four years.

Swadhin Panda, an intellectual of Puri, said, "The State government has planned to take credit by inaugurating the Shrimandir project in haste before the inauguration of the Sriram Temple at Ayodhya. The State government's intention is very ridiculous."

He said people have already understood that the BJD government talks more and works less.

According to the information, locals and devotees are facing a lot of trouble as the Parikrama project is going on in the western and southern sides of the temple. While 19 ancient mutts were damaged due to the heritage work, their renovation work is yet to be done.

While works are not completed, the scheduled January 17 inauguration has been a matter of discussion in the entire Odisha.

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