PURI: Simhadwar police on Friday detained nine persons for flying drone camera over Jagannath Temple.
During inquiry, it was learnt that the nine persons were part of a Kolkata-based company which was entrusted with shooting a promotional on heritage sites by Odisha’s Tourism Department.
The department had entrusted Lintas Private Limited, a Kolkata-based company, to prepare the promotional film by including sites under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and tourist spots of the State such as Jaugada (ruined fortress in Ganjam district), Ratnagiri, Udaygiri, Rajarani temple, Lingaraj temple and 13 other spots besides Buddhist heritage and tourist circuit.
For the purpose, Tourism Director Archana Pattnaik had sought permission from the Director-General of ASI on October 11 and permission was granted on October 18. On Friday, the team was preparing for shooting the film from the roof of Emar Mutt when some locals spotted them and informed police. The team produced permission letter from the competent authority before police after which they were released. They had to furnish an undertaking but police retained the drone camera.
Police said, “as it is prohibited to take inner pictures of the temple. We would examine if there were any inside pictures.”
Septage plant inaugurated
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday inaugurated 50,000 MLD capacity Septage plant on the outskirts of Puri through video conference. Naveen said the plant has been dedicated to the people under Amrut Yojana and it would help keep the city clean and healthy while manure would be produced from the waste. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty and other local BJD leaders were present.