Mamata Banerjee inspects proposed land for ‘Bengal Niwas’ in Puri

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday inspected the proposed site in Puri where the state government’s guest house would come up. The site at Girala on Puri-Brahmagiri Road is about a 20-minute drive from the Jagannath Temple.

She also offered Puja at the 12th-century shrine later in the day and offered a huge flag, which was tied atop the temple, seeking the welfare of all people. Later. she also visited the temple of Maa Laxmi and Maa Bimala on the temple premises while making a round of it.

On social media, Banerjee said: “Jai Jagannath! Today, I visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri and sought the divine blessings of Lord Jagannath on behalf of the entire Ma-Mati-Manush government. It was a privilege to be in the presence of such a sacred and cherished cultural site.”

She further stated: “During my visit, I also conducted an inspection of the proposed site in Puri for the upcoming construction of the West Bengal Government Guest House. The guest house will offer convenient accommodation to tourists and visitors to Puri while also serving as a hub for intercultural exchanges and collaboration between the people of the two States. I am confident that this guest house will not only be a home away from home for the visitors but also foster further tourism.

“Once again, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, the revered Daitapati of the Jagannath Temple, members of the media, the administration of Odisha, and the people of Odisha for their warm welcome and hospitality. I hope that this visit will further strengthen the bond of brotherhood between Bengal and Odisha,” reads Banerjee’s social media post.

Banerjee is also scheduled to meet Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Thursday. Asked what will be the discussion when the two CMs meet, Banerjee said: “Naveen ji hamara senior leader hai. (Naveen ji is our senior leader; we will meet).”

The Trinamool Congress supremo is likely to meet former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy in Kolkata on Friday. It comes close on the heels of Mamata’s meeting with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav last week.