New Delhi: The Union Culture Ministry will hold a meeting of experts and officials from the state government and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) December 10 in Bhubaneswar on the security and conservation of the 13th century Konark Sun Temple.
The decision was taken after Odisha Culture and Tourism minister Ashok Panda, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Kumar Patsani and Nimapara MLA Samir Ranjan Dash met Union Culture minister Mahesh Sharma, Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Archeological Survey of India (ASI) Director General here and raised the issue of security of the temple.
“We have decided that we will go to Bhubaneswar December 10. A meeting of experts and officials of the Culture ministry, state government and ASI will be convened in Bhubaneswar to discuss the best possible future plan of action for the Konark Sun temple. We will request the Chief Minister of Odisha to nominate experts or officials for the meeting,” said Mahesh Sharma.
Sharma and ASI reassured that conservation is as per international norms and the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904. The Konark Sun Temple is sound and its conservation is the utmost priority of the Narendra Modi government.
“There are reports of threat to Konark Temple, but I want to tell you that the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, has certified that there is no threat to the temple,” Sharma added.
It was also decided in the meeting that ASI would share the findings of the international conference held on conservation of Konark Sun Temple in 1997 and 2010 and the related action taken reports with the state government.
Sharma and Pradhan also raised the pending land allocation for the Paika Bidroha Memorial with the state government delegation for which letters have been issued to Odisha Chief Minister in the past by the Union ministers and once again requested a prompt clearance for the same.
Pradhan reiterated that the Centre is committed to ensure the protection of the monument while Panda said that matters like the action taken report of the ASI on the meetings of 1997 and 2010 should be the matter of discussion in the meeting.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written a letter to the Union Culture minister November 10 requesting him to initiate enquiry on the reports of replacements of original stone carvings with plain stone at Konark temple and also requested him to direct ASI to take steps for the preservation of the world heritage monument.