BHUBANESWAR: Although encroachments threaten its existence, there is a faint ray of hope for the ancient Sisupalgarh fortified city which lies in ruins today. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) along with Bhubaneswar tehsil officials is now demarcating government land in the 562.681 acre of Sisupalgarh which was notified as an ancient monument on November 13, 1950. It has already put up pillar postings around the boundary of the 0.775 acre (within the 562.681 acre) for which it has the record of rights and where the excavations were carried in 1948-49.
The work started a month back after the chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra held a meeting with ASI and all other stakeholders following the direction of the Orissa High Court. INTACH had filed a petition in this regard in the high court 15 years back.
Head of excavation wing Sushant Kumar Kar said all the vacant government land in the notified area will be identified and demarcated and then ASI will file requisition for acquiring the same with the Khurda collector.
Subsequently, a boundary wall will be constructed for its protection. Although it is not known how much land within the notified site belongs to the government, ASI officials said the stretch upto the ramparts in all directions may belong to the government. The chief secretary has directed for completion of this exercise within 90 days. Besides, the encroachments over government land within the notified area will be evicted and the same would be handed over to the ASI.
This apart, the chief secretary told the stakeholders that ASI will file requisition for acquisition of private land required by it in the area with the Revenue and Disaster Management department or Khurda collector in two phases. First, for the vacant private land and second, for land with constructions.
State convener of INTACH AB Tripathy, who had filed the petition, said while there is little hope for excavating the notified area beyond the ASI-owned 0.775 acre, government should take immediate steps to construct a boundary wall around the 0.775 acre and do periphery development work.
There are around 300 buildings in the area (Gangotri Nagar) under Lingipur and Mahabhoisasan mouzas. The BDAhas not given its approval to any of the buildings as the area is notified as a heritage zone in its CDP. On the other hand, owners of the buildings are demanding exemption of the Gangotri Nagar area from the proposed boundary wall around the notified area and including it under the Sarbakhsyama scheme of BDA for regularisation of the existing buildings.
Tehsildar Pradeep Kumar Sahoo said two teams are undertaking the demarcation work every day in both vacant and encroached government lands. “During this drive, we have suo motu booked 25 persons for illegal constructions on the government land in the notified area so far,” he informed.