An aerial view of Grand Road, Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Puri, Sept 27: The Puri Municipality, with the help of the district administration, today launched a drive to free the Bada Danda (Grand Road) from encroachments.

Executive officer of the municipality Abhay Nayak said: “The revenue department has started conducting a detailed survey of the encroached areas on the main road. Once the survey work is completed, the encroachers will be given a notice to vacate the place. If they do not obey the orders, the authorities would launch an eviction drive.”

Nearly 20,000 to 30,000 pilgrims visit the Jagannath temple in Puri everyday, while nearly 10 to 12 lakh devotees visit the place during rath yatra only.

“We have made an elaborate plan to evict the encroachers from the main road. We are initiating all steps to free the main road so that the pilgrims do not face difficulties. The decision to make Grand Road free from encroachments was taken at a meeting chaired by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik last week,” said chief administrator of the Jagannath temple of Puri, Pradeepta Mohapatra.

Officials said that as per a plan drawn by the civic authority, a straight line would be drawn from the existing information office of the state government to the temple administrator’s office on the main road. Buildings and business establishments, which would come within the line, will be demolished.

The Gopabandhu statue near the temple will be relocated at an open space near the Gundicha temple, around two and half km from the main temple. All the twelve unsafe and old buildings surrounding the Jagannath temple will be demolished.

According to sources, this is being done to enable the authorities maintain high-level security around the temple complex.

Small-time traders who are doing business on the roads that stretch from the temple to the King’s palace will be relocated elsewhere.

“The survey will determine the exact number of people to be affected. They will be relocated to a vending zone near Jagannath Ballava, a place that is one kilometre away from the temple,” the executive officer of the municipality said.

The area around the temple and the palace of the King of Puri will be declared a no parking zone. Vehicles will be allowed to drop pilgrims near the temple, but they will have to be parked at the designated parking place that is two kilometres away from the temple.