Even as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is monitoring the renovation work currently in progress at the Shree Jagannath Temple here, sculptors have expressed doubts over the deadline set by the ASI to complete the job.
Sources said a handful of workers have been engaged to repair the gumuta of the temple which involves inspection and replacement of weak stones. According to sculptor Pratap Moharana who has been engaged in the work, the gumuta repair work is a daunting task and without hands of expert sculptors it will be difficult to meet the March 2014-deadline. At least 60 workers are needed on a daily basis to meet the timeline, he said. He wondered why ASI-trained sculptors are not engaged in the task.
But the ASI does not agree to the sculptors’ versions. “The work is in full swing. Inspection of all stones and replacement of weak ones are being replaced. We hope that by March-end we’ll be able to finish the repair work,” Deputy Superintending Archaeologist Jibanjyoti Pattnayak was quoted to have stated on Friday. Temple Chief Administrator Arvinda Padhee said the ASI authorities have assured that the Gumuta repair work would be completed by the deadline. The ASI has also promised that the scaffoldings would be removed by this December-end, he added.
Meanwhile, based on Kolkata-based environmentalist Subhas Dutta’s petition at the National Green Tribunal over the ASI’s inordinate delay in executing the repair work, a notice has been sent to ASI in this regard. Dutta has alleged that technical expertise is lacking in conserving the temple.