Orissa HC seeks response from ASI, govt on work around Jagannath Temple

Orissa HC seeks response from ASI, govt on work around Jagannath Temple
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Amid the raging controversy over the ongoing construction around the 12th century Jagannath Temple, the Orissa High Court on Friday sought responses from the state government and the Archaeological Survey of India asking whether permission has been obtained for carrying out such construction and whether there is any structural threat to the iconic temple.

Responding to a PIL by a resident of the temple town, the High Court asked the Odisha government and ASI to file their responses by April 17 before the matter is taken up for hearing on April 21.

Even as the high court sought responses, the Puri district administration on Friday refilled the pits dug around the temple. The Bharatiya Janata Party which has been critical of the construction said the state government should clarify its stand on why it started digging and then filling up the pits.

Since January 20, the area around the perimeter of the temple has been dug deep by a private contractor with a plan to build several facilities including toilets and cloak rooms under the ₹800-crore Shree Jagannath Heritage Corridor project which aims to make Puri an international place of heritage. In November last year, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik along with Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, had laid the foundation for the project. The project also includes a 600-capacity reception centre, a cultural centre, an integrated command and control centre, a pilgrim centre and multi-level car parking lot among others.

However, once the digging around the temple started in January, there was strong opposition to it from various quarters including local people, advocates, servitors of the temple and opposition BJP who alleged that the digging using excavators affected the structural stability of the monument. While the state government maintained that necessary permission has been obtained from ASI, BJP said no written permission has been issued the ASI.

In Lok Sabha last week, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi and Puri MP Pinaki Mishra had a verbal duel with the former alleging that work had been undertaken around the temple without permission from ASI and NMA.

Citing a February 2022 letter written by an ASI official in Puri to the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation that is undertaking the digging close to the boundary wall of the temple, Sarangi said the OBCC officials were asked to show any permission letter from the competent authority that allowed construction within the prohibited area of the monument.

“As per the 1992 notification issued under rule 32 of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rule 1959, and further as per 2010 notification issued under rule 10 of 2010 of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and validation) Act 2010, area up to 100 meters from the protected limits of the monument has been declared as ‘Prohibited Area’. Any type of excavation and construction is totally prohibited and beyond it in the regulated area up to 200 meters the Competent Authority is authorized to give permission for any type of construction and mining activities,” said Sarangi.

Pinaki Mishra, however, said the National Monument Authority had issued a No Objection Certificate to the state government for the construction of a cloakroom, mini cloakroom, shelter pavilion and toilets on September 4, within the prohibited 75-metre zone.

The BJP MP hit back saying the DG ASI during her visit to Puri last month had cautioned the officials of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration and Public Works department that work around the ancient monument cannot be carried out the way it was being done.

The construction has led to outrage on social media as well as hundreds of Twitter users protesting the digging and construction around the temple with the hash-tag of #SaveJagannathTemple.

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