Orissa HC Orders Personal Appearance Of Officials Over Encroachments At Khandagiri Caves In Bhubaneswar

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed Khurda district collector, Bhubaneswar DCP and superintending archaeologist of ASI (Bhubaneswar Circle) to appear personally in connection with encroachments around Khandagiri caves in the capital city.

The division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho said on Monday that the unauthorised encroachments in and around the Khandagiri caves, which are of immense historical and archaeological importance, is a matter of serious concern that requires immediate attention before the situation worsens further.

The bench directed the district and ASI officials to present their plans for removal of encroachments from the protected site. The court expressed the hope that the officials will hold a meeting to chalk out a plan to assist the court before they appear on October 8, TNIE reported.

Shree Khandagiri Udaygiri Digambara Jain Siddha Khetra, a Cuttack-based organisation, had filed the PIL seeking judicial intervention against the unauthorised encroachments at the protected site.

Earlier on September 18, the court had appointed additional government advocates Lalatendu Samantaray and Suman Pattnaik as “officers of the court” to inspect the site on September 22.

Taking their report on record, the bench stated that in no case encroachments, either temporary or permanent will be tolerated. “This court shall not entertain in the present proceeding, any intervention application raising any issue against removal of encroachments by the authorities in pursuance to orders,” it said.

The court also dismissed an intervention petition filed by Maa Barabhuja Temple Managing Committee against the anti-encroachment drive at caves No 8 and 9 within the site.

The report submitted by the ‘court officers’ observed unauthorised constructions in the form of concrete structures in front of cave No 8 known as Barabhuji Gumpha. Revenue officials present during inspection said the constructions have been made on land recorded in the name of Public Works Department and General Administration department, the report said.

This construction, a contiguous part of the Khandagiri cave, seems to be without any permission, the report observed and said concrete structures comprised rooms and office. On the right side, there is a two-storey building used as rest rooms for visitors and sadhus to the Barabhuji cave.