Health dept 'undervalues' Jagannath temple land, asked to pay ₹35.5 cr more

IN what could be a curious case of undervaluation, the Health and Family Welfare department has been directed to pay an additional ₹35.5 crore to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) for the 25 acre temple land it acquired for setting up the Shree Jagannath Medical College and Hospital (SJMCH) in Puri in 2021.

- HEMANT KUMAR ROUT

Undervaluation of land is often associated with property dealers, but the revelation that a government department allegedly underpriced Shree Jagannath temple land has left many within the administration surprised. The matter surfaced when the chief administrator of SJTA raised objections in January last year, pointing out that the Health department had paid only ₹2 crore in 2020 for the sprawling 25-acre plot, an amount far below the existing benchmark valuation.