Govt to present Ratna Bhandar key report to state Cabinet, AG informs HC

Bhubaneswar: The State government is set to place the long-awaited inquiry report on the Ratna Bhandar key before the Cabinet, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya informed the Orissa High Court on Monday.

In a significant update, Acharya revealed that the judicial commission’s report, submitted to the State government in 2018, had previously been left unaddressed by the former government. However, the current administration has decided to bring the report before the Cabinet for further deliberation.

Senior lawyer Anup Mohapatra, who was present in the court, emphasized that the inquiry findings also highlighted the absence of an updated inventory of the Ratna Bhandar’s treasures. The last inventory of the Ratna Bhandar was conducted in 1978, and since then, no new assessment has been carried out. Mohapatra further shared that a committee, led by Justice BN Rath, had been formed to supervise the process of temporarily relocating the Ratna Bhandar’s valuable ornaments, although an official inventory has yet to be made.

“Our main concern remains the mysterious loss of the Ratna Bhandar key. We have pointed out that the Commission of Inquiry Act was not adequately followed during the investigation,” Mohapatra added.

In addition, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted an affidavit to the High Court, providing an update on the ongoing restoration work of the Ratna Bhandar. The ASI reported that the repairs are expected to be completed by Snana Purnima, though a specific date for the completion of the work has not yet been provided.

The matter has been adjourned, with the next hearing scheduled for May 15.