Bhubaneswar: The Centre on Thursday clarified the draft heritage bye-law (HBL) for centrally protected monuments in Odisha.
In a letter to Odisha Chief Secretary, Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, the Culture Ministry Secretary, Raghvendra Singh has clarified the key points.
Singh said that the procedure for preparing the HBL under the AMASR (Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains( Act is laid down in the rules notified in 2011 (Framing of HBL and other functions of the competent authority).
Broadly, 7 stages are involved in finalisation of HBLs:
1. Preparation of survey plan of the monument by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
2. Preparation of draft HBL as per the survey authority (NMA or the authority).
3. Draft HBL is examined by the authority by the members of the authority, and after the incorporating suggestions/corrections by the members of the authority, the same is then put on the public portal for inviting suggestions/objections from the public (Rule 18 of National Monuments Authority (Appointment, Functions and Conduct of Business) Rules, 2011
4. The suggestions/objections received during the consultation are considered by the authority and if required, a public hearing is also conducted.
5. The HBL is again placed before the authority after incorporating all the relevant suggestions from stakeholders for the final approval by the authority.
6. The approved HBL is sent to the Ministry and thereafter laid before both the Houses of the Parliament (Section 20 E, sub-section 6 of the AMASR Act 1958).
7. Thereafter, the approved HBL is posted on the website of NMA, ASI and the Ministry of Culture (Section 20E, sub-section 7 of the AMASR Act 1958). The approved HBL is also sent to the urban local body (ULB) for getting incorporated in the local building bye-laws.
Singh also informed that till now, only five HBLs covering 31 centrally protected monuments are notified as they have managed to cross all seven stages.
On the other hand, 104 HBLs for different monuments of the country including five monuments of Odisha viz. Jagannath temple and subsidiary shrines in Puri, Brahmeswar temple in Khurda and Ananta Basudeva temple, Mukteshwar temple and Rameshwar temple in Bhubaneswar, received by the NMA are at different stages of completion. These bye-laws are in the stage of being posted on the public portal to invite suggestions/objections from the public, he added.
Maintaining that neither of these are notified the in gazette nor in any other statutory manner, the Culture Secretary said that after learning that the draft bye-law for the Jagannath Temple and subsidiary shrines in Puri has caused distress in certain sections of the stakeholders, the same was withdrawn from the portal.
Stating that he would appreciate if suggestions and objections from all concerned including the sevayats, temple administration and the state government on the remaining four HBLs are sent to NMA for consideration, he hoped that the state government and other stakeholders understand the statutory requirements as per AMASR (Amendment & Validation) Act, 2010 and the rules.
