Bhubaneswar: After facing criticism, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi has stated that the development of the Puri Srimandir should be done as per the National Monument Authority (NMA) & Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) guidelines.
Besides, she also said that priority should be given to the health & welfare of servitors.
Sarangi also questioned the Odisha Government on the steps being taken regarding the renovation work of Raghunandan Library.
Notably, the draft architectural plan and design of the Sri Jagannath temple heritage corridor project with an estimated cost of Rs 3,200 crore was given the green signal by the temple managing committee last week.
Initially, Rs 800 crore would be made available from the State government’s Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture at Puri (ABADHA) scheme followed by another Rs 265 crore in the first phase.
The projects include Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) building redevelopment, Srimandir reception centre, Jagannath cultural centre including Raghunandan library, integrated command and control centre, Badadanda heritage streetscape, Srimandir amenities improvement, Sri Setu, Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, multilevel car parking, municipal market development, Swargdwar development, Pramod Udyan, Gurukulam, Mahodadhi market, beach front development, Puri lake, Musa river revival plan, Atharnala and housing for sevayats.
Earlier, the National Monument Authority (NMA) under the Union Ministry of Culture came up with heritage bylaws for the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri, proposing the 100 metre area around the 12th century shrine be declared as ‘prohibited area’ where no constructions can be undertaken. The NMA released the draft bylaws under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act (AMASR), 2010, for Jagannath temple and its subsidiary shrines, defining various zones for their conservation and periphery development.
Following widespread protest, the Union Ministry of Culture withdrew the draft bye-laws framed by the National Monuments Authority (NMA) prohibiting construction works around Puri Srimandir.
