BHUBANESWAR: An eight-member House committee headed by Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro was announced in the Assembly on Thursday on the last day of the budget session to inspect the construction works undertaken under the Puri Heritage Corridor project and its possible impact on the Jagannath temple.
The other members of the committee are Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, Law Minister Pratap Jena, Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra, Debi Prasad Mishra and Atanu Sabyasahi Nayak (both BJD) besides, Jayant Sarangi and Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra of BJP.
The announcement of the House committee came hours after BJP MP from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi raised the issue of violation of norms in the ongoing construction works under the project in the Lok Sabha and demanded that the digging work should immediately be stopped to ensure the structural safety of the shrine.
Opposition BJP and Congress members had created a ruckus in the Assembly on March 29 over the issue and questioned the State government’s decision to go ahead with the project work without taking permission from the ASI and NMA.