The Odisha cabinet on Monday approved an ordinance to constitute a committee for managing the affairs of the 11th century Shree Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar and its properties, including those on its premises, other temples, sacred places and maths, for better administration and governance.

The management will be on the lines of the procedure followed in the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on December 2 had visited the Lingaraj temple and assured the servitors that the state government will take steps for its better governance.

The state government said in a release, “The detailed provision have been made in the proposed Ordinance covering all relevant aspects, such as constitution of managing committee, its composition, responsibilities and powers, administrator’s responsibilities and powers, maintenance and management of moveable and immovable properties of the temple, role and responsibilities of the servitors, constitution of the temple fund and its management.”

“This apart, the government has recently proposed to undertake several developmental works for all-round development of Lingaraj temple which are required to be done on priority basis. Since the Odisha Assembly is not in session, the new law is proposed to be enacted through this ordinance,” the release said.

Under the existing laws, all the maths and temples, except the Jagannath temple, are governed by the Endowment Commission.