The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounted more pressure on the Odisha government on Tuesday over the alleged unauthorised construction under Srimandir Parikrama Project, with its National Vice President, Baijayant Panda slamming the government’s move.
In a reaction to Bhubaneswar MP and BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi’s Tweet on Monday which referred to ASI’s letter to the Puri District Administration directing it to stop digging under the project, Panda tweeted, “A very important revelation indeed. The excuses being given by Odisha’s governing party have been demolished.”
“The state must now honour every Odia’s sentiment and stop its unauthorised destruction of the prohibited area surrounding the temple of Mahaprabhu Jagannath,” he tweeted.
Aparajita Sarangi on Monday had lashed out at the Odisha government, questioning why the construction activities have not been stopped even after the direction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The letter from the ASI, which she was quoting, was issued on February 5, 2022 by the Office of The Conservation Assistant, ASI to all the stakeholders of the Heritage project; Puri district collector, SP Puri and the Chief Administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
“As per the rules, the area up to 100 metres from the protected limits of the monument has been declared as 'Prohibited Area' in which any type of excavation and construction is totally prohibited and beyond it up to 200 meters, have been declared as 'Regulated Area' in which competent authorities are authorized to give permission for any type of construction and mining activities,” the letter read.
The ASI had asked the administration to produce the permission, if any, it has taken for construction within Prohibited Area from the competent authorities of the said Nationally Protected Monument, otherwise stop the work immediately, the ASI had said.