In an initiative towards resolving emotive ‘missing key’ episode of Puri Jagannath temple’s Ratna Bhandar (treasury), the 16-member reconstituted committee headed by former judge of Orissa High Court, Justice Biswanath Rath on Saturday said the decision regarding the reopening of Ratna Bhandar for repair and inventory of valuables will be taken on 9 July.

The Committee constituted by the new BJP Government, headed by the retired High Court Judge Justice Rath held a meeting on Saturday to decide on the modalities of the reopening of Ratna Bhandar at Jagannath temple for repair.

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The duplicate key of the Ratna Bhandar is intact at Puri district treasury. The Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has been asked to submit the key before the high-level committee meeting scheduled on 9 July.

If the key undergoing wear and tear does not function, the lock will be dismantled for the opening of the Bhandar. Regarding the inventory of precious items in the Bhandar, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be formulated. The final call in this regard will be taken by the Government, said Justice Rath, head of the Committee.

As the repair of the Ranta Bhandar also remains in the list of priorities, the precious items are required to be relocated from the Bhandar. The SJTA will then decide to ensure the safety of the items after relocation to the designation place. Thereafter, the inventory of the items will be expeditiously done, he said.

It may be recalled here that In March, the previous BJD government had formed a 12-member committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Arijit Pasayat to supervise the inventory of jewellery and other valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar. However, the new BJP government dissolved the Justice Pasayat-led panel and formed the fresh committee.

Ratna Bhandar ‘missing key’ controversy was capitalized by the BJP in Odisha to put the previous government on back foot in 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

The Ratna Bhandar comprises outer and chamber. While the outer chamber is used for storage of the day-to-day ornaments of the deities – Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra- while the inner chamber is earmarked for storage of precious gold jewelry, gems, pearls and rare diamonds apart from silver and other decorative items of the temple’s three presiding deities which are not used for deities’ daily rituals.

A huge controversy had erupted as the key of the inner chamber was found to be missing in 2018 when the Orissa High Court ordered an inspection.

The previous BJD government had ordered a judicial inquiry into the non-availability of keys of the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri on June 5, 2018 as the mysterious disappearance of treasure keys had triggered a furore. The inquiry commission report was however kept under the wraps by the previous government.

The BJD Government on 29 February last year had constituted a 12-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Arijit Pasayat for supervision of inventorisation of the valuables including jewelleries stored in the Ratna Bhandar.

The BJP’s star campaigners including Prime Minister Narendra Modi in election rallies had raked up the issue for electoral advantage by saying that “if BJP forms the government in Odisha, it will make the report public and those involved in disappearance of key will be punished.”