BHUBANESWAR: The Director General’s office of Archaeological Survey of India has decided to approach the state government for taking legal route for protecting Sisupalgarh, a large portion of whose rampart (ancient mud walls) have been damaged.
In a meeting with officials of Odisha circle, ASI’s additional DG and joint DG decided to approach the state government to take legal course for protecting the site. “Since there are many laws governing the protected site and land ownership complications involved, the DG office will dicuss with the state government to decide on the modalities needed to file cases against those involved in damaging the protected area of the site. We have filed three police complaints so far,” said circle head Dibishada Brajasundar Garnayak.
The ramparts on western, southern and eastern directions of Sisupalgarh have been damaged and land levelled by land mafia within the last fortnight. Besides, the land near the 18 pillars of the ancient site, the only prominent remains of Sishupalgarh, has also been plotted for sale, ASI officials informed. The land near the pillars was owned by a farmer who sold it by changing the land status in violation of BDA’s norms.
The BDA in its comprehensive develpment plan has earmarked the entire Sisupalgarh as a notified area where no construction can come up and only cultivation can be taken up. “However, we are trying to ascertain how the land was converted into ‘gharabdi’ and sold off to people who have plotted it,” Garnayak said.