Central team to inspect Lord Jagannath Temple's structural safety

Bhubaneswar: The central government would send a delegation headed by culture secretary to inspect structural safety of the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, said Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday.

He said the delegation that would include Archaeological Survey of India's director general, other senior officers and engineers of IIT-Madras will also hold discussion with Odisha government officials and other stake holders for repair of Jagamohan, the chamber facing the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

They will also consult expert faculty from IIT Bhubaneswar and NIT Rourkela on the structural aspects of the temple, he said after a meeting in New Delhi also attended by Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma, the culture secretary, the ASI chief and other senior officers of the culture ministry.

The meeting held a discussion on the report submitted by the National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures, and IIT-Madras' civil engineering department, along with the proceedings of the technical Committee of ASI on the issue.

During the course of discussion, the ASI chief clarified that the suggestions of various recommendations received on the structural safety of the Jagamohan is under review and efforts are being made to find a lasting and permanent solution to the problem, while Sharma assured that all steps will be taken by ASI in consultation with all stake holders in the interest of the temple and devotees in a time-bound manner.

Meanwhile, Puri ruler Gajapati Maharaj Dibya Singh Dev on Monday sought early completion of the repair work of Jagamohan.

"Now we have to ensure that the restoration work must begin at the earliest with the best available scientific technique. ASI must begin the work on war footing and complete it at the earliest. We have very little time for the whole process," he said.