The Odisha government told officials to expedite the work on the redevelopment of the Samaleswari Temple, one of the most revered shrines in the state, so that it can be completed on time.
A high-level team, led by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, visited Sambalpur on Monday to assess the progress of the Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economy Initiatives (Samalei) Scheme.
Under the project, transformative improvement of the Samaleswari Temple in western Odisha will be carried out on the lines of the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar. The redevelopment includes beautification and peripheral development of the temple, heritage corridor, state-of-the-art amenities and the Mahanadi riverfront development.
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The delegation reviewed the construction work on the resettlement colony in Durgapali, where people who will be displaced due to the implementation of the scheme will be rehabilitated.
The Odisha government is providing all the amenities for the affected people there, the Chief Minister's Office said. The team talked to the officials of the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC), which is implementing the project.
They directed the firm to expedite the work for the timely completion of the project, which will offer a "divine experience" to the devotees and give a boost to the local economy, according to the CMO.
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The board of the 16th-century shrine discussed with the team regarding the implementation of the Rs 200-crore project, which is expected to be completed by next year. The land acquisition process is underway by the district administration now, an OBCC official said.
The Samaleswari Temple was constructed by Balram Dev, the first Chouhan king of Sambalpur. The shrine has been constructed in proto-Nagra style and is a major tourist attraction of the region.
The abode of Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is one of the most revered in the state. The deity is worshipped mainly in western Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
With PTI inputs.
