CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday expressed displeasure over the State government's failure to submit a satisfactory report on the present status of the ancient monuments at Sisupalgarh on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
Sisupalgarh was excavated in 1947 by eminent archaeologist BB Lal and is considered to be the first instance of a planned settlement after Mohenjodaro-Harappa. According to latest reports, only 0.775 acre of the entire 562.681 acre of the fortified settlement's protected land is under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) control.
On April 19, the Court was not able to proceed with the 14-year-old PIL for preservation of protected area of Sisupalgarh as the State government failed to submit a report on the present status of the ancient monuments. The failure of the government, the second time in 50 days, forced the Court to adjourn hearing on the matter to May 17.
When the PIL came up on Monday, the government filed an affidavit along with some photographs. But the Court was not satisfied as the affidavit failed to give a status report as directed on April 19. The Court expected the government to file a report on the present status of the protected area of the ruins of Sisupalgarh along with photographs of the site and steps taken for protection of the monuments.
Expressing displeasure over the affidavit, the division bench of Justice BR Sarangi and Justice KR Mohapatra had to adjourn hearing again to June 21, giving the government time till then to file a satisfactory report.Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage had filed the PIL in 2007 seeking a specific direction to the authorities concerned to take appropriate steps to protect the monuments in Sisupalgarh area without allowing any unauthorised constructions or encroachments.
Meanwhile, in a related development, ASI Bhubaneswar Circle has urged the Collector of Khurda to take immediate steps to stop construction of road by illegal removal of the fortification wall of Sisupalgarh in order to preserve and save the monuments of national importance.
In a letter to the collector on April 30, ASI Bhubaneswar Circle Superintending Archaeologist in-charge PK Dikhit said the fortification wall of the southern side of Sisupalgarh has been removed by using machines and the land is being levelled for easy access to the plots.