Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra on Friday took charge as the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the governing body of Srimandir in Puri, Odisha.
The senior IAS officer took his office after a darshan of the three deities inside the 12th century shrine.
On Monday, the Odisha government appointed Mohapatra as the chief administrator of SJTA in place of Pradip Kumar Jena
Mohapatra, who also holds the post of Principal Secretary in the School and Mass Education Department, has been given additional charge as the chief administrator of SJTA.
“Conducting the world famous Rath Yatra, which is scheduled to be held on July 14, a hassle free festival, will be my first priority as of now”, said Mohapatra.
Mohapatra was in charge of SJTA chief administrator from April 27, 2010 to May 13, 2012.
The change in the temple administration has come amid the state-wide resentment over the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath Temple.