Puri : The activists of various voluntary organizations today staged a demonstration
in front of collectors office opposing the beach shack plan along the Puri- Konark marine drive
by the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC).
The protestors led by activist Sarat Raigur later submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through the District Collector to drop the plan.
The protesters met Swami Nischalananda Saraswati the Sankaracharya of Gobardhan peeth
and appraised him of the situation.
The Puri seer flayed the plan and said Puri is one of the four dhams of Hindu faith and a holy
place. The Government,he said, should desist from making this “Tirthasthali” into “Bhogasthali”
by opening beach shacks projects.
Over a dozen voluntary organisations, devotees and intellectuals today strongly opposed the
Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) plan to open beach shacks along the Puri
Konark marine drive road.
OTDC has floated tenders in the newspapers inviting bids from the intending contractors and
such agencies to open six beach shacks in the state including one along the Puri Konark marine
drive road to boost tourism in the state. Today is the last date for filing the bid.
Tourists would be served food, liquor and other beverages and boarding facilities in the shacks.
“Milita Odisha Nisha Nibaran Abhijan”, a confederation of over two dozen NGOs working for complete prohibition, Convenor Chakradhar Mohapatra , activist Sarat Raiguru and former
secretary state Bhasa pratisthan Dr Kailash Chandra Tikayat opposed the plan.
They said Puri, the abode of lord Jagannath is the spiritual and cultural capital of the state and hundreds of devotees from across the globe visit this place of lord Jagannath.
Stating that Promoting alcoholism in this holy place is very bad for our culture, the beach
shacks plan should be dropped to maintain the sanctity of this holy place,they said .
UNI
