Puri: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Bhubaneswar Circle, has not granted permission for the Puri Heritage Corridor Project outside the Jagannath Temple, an RTI reply has revealed.
The reply, dated April 25, 2022, to the RTI, filed by a person from Kendrapara, was given by the office of the superintending archaeologist, ASI, Bhubaneswar Circle. “No such permission is accorded by the ASI, Bhubaneswar Circle, on the construction of Shree Jagannath Heritage Corridor, Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha,” the reply states.
The ASI also enclosed a letter of the proposals “related to Shree Mandira Parikrama Project submitted by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, Puri”.
According to ASI’s reply, “no advice, stipulation and guideline have been given by the ASI, Bhubaneswar Circle, on the execution of the project”.
The project has run into a controversy with the Odisha government carrying out extensive digging and construction around the 12-century protected monument. As the temple is a protected monument, the ASI’s permission to carry out construction work is mandatory. The state government has claimed all works were being carried out in coordination with the ASI.
Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb on Monday assured that the heritage corridor project posed no threat to the 12th-century temple and sought the cooperation of everyone for smooth implementation of the project.
“The temple managing committee was involved when the concept plan was prepared and also gave its approval to the architectural design. Work on it has now begun and both the central and state governments should take it forward,” he said.
The Orissa High Court has directed the ASI and the Odisha government to carry out a joint inspection of the construction under the heritage corridor project. The order followed the ASI’s appeal for two more weeks’ time to file a detailed report on the inspection. The court has posted the next hearing to May 16.
On April 8, the HC had directed the ASI to file an affidavit by April 17
