Khordha Collector Sanat Kumar Mohanty has written to the National Monuments Authority (NMA) to withdraw the heritage bylaws framed for the Lingaraj Temple here as the draft rules prohibit construction works around the shrine.
Notably, the State Government has cleared structures on a 75-metre radius of the temple to develop a heritage corridor. The Collector wrote in his letter, “It was to get the technical knowhow of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for conservation of the ancient built structure, the Lord Lingaraj Temple Trust Board entered into an agreement with ASI on 10th February 1958.
The agreement restricts & codifies duties and responsibilities of ASI vis-a-vis Temple Trust.” As the servitors are likely to be severely and adversely affected by an intervention of the authorities like this draft notification, they must be consulted before any process to restrict their rights is undertaken by the NMA, stated the letter urging the NMA to immediately withdraw the notification. Similarly, State Commissioner of Endowments CR Mohapatra has written to the NMA for withdrawal of the heritage bylaws framed for Bhubaneswar’s Brahmeswar Temple at Badagada. Notably, the NMA, which also framed similar heritage bylaws for the Jagannath Temple in Puri, later withdrew it following widespread protests.