At 9.30 am, it's humid with an overcast sky in Puri a familiar setting of the coastal town. In a makeshift air-conditioned tunnel, devotees are waiting to have darshan (glimpse) of Lord Jagannatha at the 12th-century shrine, thanks to the Naveen Patnaik government's "thoughtful arrangement".
Minutes later, the clouds give way to the scorching sun.
A heated discussion ensues metres away when a local woman confronts a police constable.
She blames Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government for displacing small businesses because of the Parikrama (heritage corridor) project.
"We were left in the cold," laments Tilottama Behera, who used to run a makeshift shop on the road in front of the temple.
Amid much fanfare in January, days before the consecration ceremony of Lord Rama in Ayodhya, Patnaik inaugurated the 75-metre heritage corridor in Puri.
The city's infrastructure also got a facelift, and the project, including the promotional activities, cost the government around ₹4,500 crore.
The BJD government, in its fifth term, has revamped major temples across the state, a move political analysts claim is a counter to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Ram Mandir narrative.
The government has so far allocated 3,709 crore towards the preservation of Jagannatha culture and the development of amenities near places of worship under the Ama Odisha Nabin Lok Sabha Seat Odisha scheme.
Bu hikaye Business Standard dergisinin May 09, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Business Standard dergisinin May 09, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Women share in urban salaried jobs at 6-yr low
The share of women employed in regular ☐ salaried jobs in urban India hit a fresh low in the January-March quarter (Q4) of 2023-24 (FY24).
NARAYANAN VAGHUL (1936-2024) 'Vaghul style of leadership created a factory of leaders'
RENUKA RAMNATH My first encounter with N Vaghul, was in 1986, when I joined ICICI as a junior officer on probation.
Gold loans still shining
Regulatory scrutiny of such lending is growing but it is unlikely to slow down business, reports RAGHU MOHAN
MIGRATION, PROMOTION, CONVERSATION
What lies ahead for the India-EFTA free-trade deal?
A higher interchange is critical for ATM business'
A decade after white-label ATM operators (WLAOS) came into play, only a shade more than 30,000 units have been set up by them.
Closure of old credit card can negatively impact credit score
If the card is old and expensive but not useful, downgrade it to a no-fee card
'Market assumes easy re-election for incumbent govt'
The recent spike in volatility, often observed preceding big events, is compounded by quarterly earnings and a renewed focus on China, according to PRATIK GUPTA, chief executive officer and co-head of Kotak Institutional Equities.
Valuation swell prompts balanced advantage funds to lower sails
ADJUSTING TO MARKET TIDES: Large BAFs trim net exposure to below 60%
Japan's stock market dawn: The new Land of Rising Equities
CLEAR SKIES AHEAD: Chris Wood of Jefferies spots promise in its bank stock breakout
USA Inc: Woke vs greed
It's been 14 years since Goldman Sachs was vilified as a \"vampire squid\" by Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone.