Bhubaneswar: The state government has once again urged the Centre to immediately withdraw the draft heritage bylaws issued by National Monuments Authority (NMA) relating to Shree Ananta Basudev and Shree Brahmeswar temples of Ekamra Kshetra here.
This time, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra has written to Union Culture secretary Raghavendra Singh, Monday. Earlier, the Lingaraj Temple Trust Board and Endowment Commissioner have written to the NMA member secretary for immediate withdrawal of the draft bylaws relating to Ekamra Kshetra.
The NMA had published draft notification of heritage bylaws for Puri Srimandir along with Ananta Basudev and Brahmeswar temples of Bhubaneswar. Following a hue and cry, the heritage bylaws related to the Srimandir has been withdrawn by the NMA.
However, the draft notification for Ekamra Kshetra temples are still in force causing distress to the Sevayat community, people at large and devotees, Mahapatra said.
“There have been frequent agitations regarding the non-withdrawal of these draft notifications and there is serious apprehension that this will lead to widespread agitation and disturb the day-to-day rituals in the temples,” he said, adding, “This kind of atmosphere in temples is bound to hurt the religious sentiments of lakhs of devotees.”
It is important to have a peaceful atmosphere and full cooperation of sevayats for conduct of the upcoming annual Maha Shivarati festival (March 11) when lakhs of devotees from all over the state would congregate, the Chief Secretary said.
Therefore, the state government has strongly recommended the Union government for immediate withdrawal of the draft bylaws relating to the two city temples.
Mahapatra has also suggested the NMA to have a stakeholder consultation including sevayats, temple administration and the state government on these sensitive temple matters where the living deity and rituals are interlinked.
Meanwhile, political slugfest over the issue continued in the state. BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said, “The draft bylaws for five monuments have been posted on the website to invite objections/suggestions. If there is any objection, the state government should file objections. What is the meaning of withdrawal of draft bylaws?”
She claimed that the heritage bylaws are intended to help the general public by streamlining the norms for taking up reconstruction/renovation activities in the restricted areas.
On the allegation that Centre had not taken the state agencies into confidence while preparing the draft bylaws, Sarangi slammed the state government agencies for not taking central agencies like ASI into confidence while taking up the demolition drive in Ekamra Kshetra.
Despite repeated attempt from the ASI and NMA, the state government had refused to share any architectural plan or detailed project report, she alleged.