'Treasury inventory will start once govt finalises experts'

Retired Orissa high court judge Biswanath Rath, chairman of the 16-member committee formed by the govt to oversee the inventory of valuables of Jagannath Temple's Ratna Bhandar (treasury), speaks to Debabrata Mohapatra about the upcoming exercise and more.
Tell us about the preparations...
Each member of the committee is eagerly waiting for the govt's go-ahead.We have already proposed to the govt to start the inventory from Sunday. Our mandate is only to supervise the inventory and repair of Ratna Bhandar. Each member has been maintaining sanctity and taking veg food. It is mandatory for each member to wear a wet gamcha (a thin and coarse cotton towel) only while entering the Ratna Bhandar. Nobody will carry a mobile phone or any object into the temple.
Who will carry out the inventory?
The government will select a team of experts including goldsmiths, gemologists and valuers who have the expertise to identify the nature, character, and carat of gold, silver, diamond, coral, gemstones and other precious metals. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will look after the repair and conservation of the Ratna Bhandar.
As the govt is yet to select experts for the inventory, when will the enumeration start?
Though we will open Ratna Bhandar on Sunday, the inventory may not take place that day. The inventory of valuables will start as and when the govt arranges the experts. Inventory is the third stage of the exercise. The first stage involves the opening of Ratna Bhandar and related modalities. The second stage will focus on the relocation of valuables from Ratna Bhandar to a temporary room inside the shrine. The third and final stage is the counting and inventory of the jewellery. We have accordingly prepared three standard operating procedures (SOP)s.
Tell us about the SOPs...
The first and second SOPs largely revolve around the preparations for smooth execution of the third SOP. For the opening of the Ratna Bhandar, we have asked the district and temple administration to ensure proper lighting arrangements, install ACs and CCTV cameras in the temporary treasury. A medical team and snake catcher will be present to avoid any untoward incident. The shrine administration has identified two rooms near the Ratna Bhandar to store the valuables. Security personnel will guard it 24x7.
What will be your Day 1 exercise?
Our first day's work will be to open Ratna Bhandar. If the key does not work, the lock will be broken. The same day, the shifting of the valuables will be done to the temporary room. The ASI will start conservation work once the relocation of valuables gets over. The ASI has set a target to complete the repair of cracks in five days. Inventory will start the day the govt finalises the experts. Inventory is likely to be a lengthy process as the identification of the ancient jewellery could be a challenge. The entire exercise will be videographed. The footage will not be made public. It will be preserved by the govt.
Will people be allowed to go near the inventory site?
No. The inventory site will be cordoned off by the police. The temple administration will ensure that daily rituals and darshan are not affected. Since the deities are currently at Gundicha temple, we are planning to go for a complete closure of Jagannath Temple on Sunday to ensure smooth work on the first day.
People are eagerly waiting to know the outcome of the inventory...
We will maintain secrecy about the operation. The opening of Ratna Bhandar and its inventory will be carried out in a secretive manner. Each member of our committee, the ASI, and the inventory team will vow before the deities not to disclose anything about Ratna Bhandar to anyone outside. The govt may make the inventory report public, but committee members will stay mum.