Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch on Sunday visited world famous Sun Temple at Konark and took stock of peripheral development and various other issues of the temple.
Archaeological Survey of India Bhubaneswar circle superintendent AK Patel and deputy superintendent Jiban Patnaik apprised the Minister about the conservation and maintenance work of the temple during her visit.
However, the locals and intellectuals, who had come to meet the Minister to discuss about the deteriorating structural condition of the temple, were not allowed by the police and ASI officials to meet her.
The Minister held discussion with senior ASI officials and Indian Oil Foundation officials for its proposed Rs 32 crore peripheral development project at the temple. Notably, the work of peripheral development is taken up by the Indian Oil Foundation under the National Culture Fund under the supervision of the ASI.