Bhubaneswar, Feb. 25 -- The Odisha government has approved a special grant of Rs 1 crore for the construction of a new Brahmataladhwaja chariot in Kendrapara district for this year's Rath Yatra. Thanking the State government for the financial assistance, BJP National Vice-President and Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda expressed gratitude for the timely decision.

For the past few years, the 14 wheels of the existing chariot had been in poor condition, causing repeated disruptions during the annual festival. As a result, the chariot often failed to reach the Mausima Temple on schedule, sometimes arriving one or two days late.

Similar issues were observed during the Bahuda Yatra as well. These operational difficulties had led to growing dissa...