Now new controversy brewing pertaining digging work in Puri Heritage Corridor project

Bhubaneswar, May 19 (PTI) Puri Lok Sabha MP Pinaki Mishra has claimed that GPRS was done before digging commenced near the Shree Jagannath Temple for the Puri Heritage Corridor Project.

Opposition BJP leaders including party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra have accused the lawmaker of misleading the nation.

Asked the date of GPRS, Mishra told PTI “Please wait for government affidavit in HC. I have given extract of a copy in my tweet.” Mishra tweeted on Wednesday, “Also, as documents will show, GPRS was duly done and therefore allegations about digging without doing GPRS are baseless. HC affidavit will clarify all these aspects … All that is needed is a little patience and a little less malice. Jai Jagannth.” Mishra in another tweet said, “History will indentify these people as charlatans and malefic clowns who were obstructing development, security and conservation works of Puri Temple, purely out of selfish greed and unbridled malice:.

He also attached two pages of 'Report on Underground Utility Detection by GPR Technology Report For the Shree Mandira Parikrama Project' to his tweet.

The opposition to the alleged illegal construction within 100 m radius of the 12th century shrine categorised as protected zone gained momentum after a lion sculpture was found while digging near Emar Mutt, within 75 m from the temple boundary wall. An ASI team had visited the digging site and said that the lion sculpture could date back to Ganga dynasty, which ruled Odisha from the 11th century AD to 15th century AD and the famed Jagannath Temple and Konark Sun Temple was constructed during its reign.

The local people are of the opinion that the state could have saved many heritage sculptures from getting damaged during digging had there been proper GPRS (ground penetrating radar survey) before excavation for the construction of the corridor project. Noted archeologist and historian Anil Dhir in a statement said “In another blatant attempt of misinformation and disinformation, BJD MP Pinaki Mishra has tweeted that the GPRS Report of the Jagannath Mandir Parikrama has been conducted and will be submitted to the High Court as an affidavit.” Dhir said that the MP has not ascertained that utility detection GPRS is done only fordetecting underground gas, water and power lines. "This survey is done to locate these utilities to prevent damage where proposed excavation is undertaken," he said. “The utility detection GPRS is in no way a survey of buried artifacts or archaeological materials. The report is only for specific materials. The MP is indulging in lies and subterfuge by suggesting that composite GPRS has been conducted for archaeological materials,” he said.

The ground penetrating radar is essential for locating non-conductive utilities, unlocatable subsurface features, non-metallic pipes and concrete storm and sewer systems, underground storage tanks. Abandoned lines, electric cables, fibre optic cables, septic tanks are also detected by this method, he said.

In the affidavit submitted to the High Court, ASI had specifically mentioned that during the joint inspection, the executing agencies - both Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation (OBCC) and Tata Project and stated that no GPRS had been done.

ASI superintending archeologist, Bhubaneswar Circle, A K Mallick said that he had alerted Odisha government several times that the entire periphery of Shree Jagannath Temple is filled with archaeological remains and ancient artefacts will come up anywhere there is a digging. The ASI in its affidavit to the high court has categorically said it had found that the Puri Heritage Corridor Project had no valid permission and no no objection certificate were issued by competent authorities.

Besides, there was every possibility that OBCC during excavation or soil removal might have destroyed archaeological remains of the heritage site, it said.