Iconic Heritage List: Centre Ignores Odisha Sites Once Again

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed displeasure over the exclusion of potential sites from Odisha in the Centre’s heritage conservation plan.

The CM reacted that Odisha not only has several sites that can be developed into iconic sites, but the state also deserves a national tribal museum.

On Saturday, Odisha was ignored once again when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced to develop five archaeological sites in the country as iconic sites with on-site museums while presenting the Union Budget 2020-21.

Last year also, not a single place of tourist attraction from Odisha was selected when the Centre had released a list of 17 sites to be developed as iconic tourist destinations evoking strong resentment from the state government.

The recent visit of Union Tourism and Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel to Konark had raised hopes that at least one site from Odisha would be developed as an iconic site, but there was no mention of it in the finance minister’s budget speech.

The sites which have been declared to be developed into iconic sites are Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Shivsagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat and Aadichanallur in Tamil Nadu.

Four of the five sites are of pre-Christian era except Shivsagar of the medieval period. Though Odisha has some incredible sites like Dhauli and Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar, Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udaygiri in Jajpur that date back to pre-Christian era, tragically those have been forgotten.

The Odisha chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has also termed the omission of Odisha’s heritage sites in the Centre’s list as unfortunate.

State Convener of INTACH and former DGP, AB Tripathy, said there are so many archaeological sites, monuments, natural and ethnic sites having immense tourism potential which are being constantly neglected by the Centre. “The state government should place a strong demand to the Centre so that these sites can be developed. This can help boost local economy,” Tripathy said.

Heritage lovers, hoteliers and tour operators also blamed the Centre for ignoring Odisha as far as tourism promotion is concerned.