By Our Correspondent
PURI/CUTTACK/BHUBANESWAR: While hearing a PIL about the construction activities in and around the Jagannath Temple complex at Puri by the State Government, the Orissa High Court on Friday directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake a joint inspection of the constructions and file a report to the court at least three days prior to April 21, the date fixed for the next hearing of the matter.
One Dilip Kumar Baral of Puri has approached the court seeking judicial interventions to stop the construction activities allegedly violating the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. “The provisions of the Act stipulate that the area in the vicinity of the monument within 100 meters is ‘prohibited’ area and within 200 meters is ‘regulated’ category”, the petition said.
“Any repair, modification or any constructions in the prohibited or regulated areas require prior permission from the ASI,” the petitioner said, adding that the construction activities are carried out within the prohibited areas and no prior permission has been taken by the State Government from the ASI.
“Cracks have appeared in the Nata Mandap of the 12th-century shrinedue to these construction activities,” pointed out the petitioner’s advocate Anup Mohapatra, saying that if the activities are allowed, itwould pose a threat to the structure of the ancient temple.
Appearing for the State Government, Advocate General Ashok Parija drew the attention of the court to a compilation containing thecorrespondences exchanged between the Odisha Government and theNational Monuments Authority (NMA), which functions under the Union Ministry of Culture and is responsible for grant of permission for construction-related activity in the prohibited and regulated areas.
