Aditya Birla Director to go Ekamra Kshetra heritage mission panel

By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR: The State authorities on Monday introduced structure of a mission advisory committee (PAC) for the bold Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Action Plan (EKAMRA Plan) geared toward growth of the heritage zone in Old Town. The PAC will probably be headed by Santrupt Misra who’s the Director (Group Human Resources) and CEO of Carbon Black Business of Aditya Birla Group.“It is a matter of great honour for me to be asked to lead the project advisory committee on the Ekamra project. I thank the Hon’ble Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for reposing his trust in me to lead this historic project”, Misra stated.

With Misra as its chairman, the PAC could have 19 members together with Work Secretary, RDC, BMC and Endowment Commissioners, Superintending Archaeologist of ASI (Bhubaneswar Circle), Khurda Collector, Culture Director, acclaimed sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo, three sevayats of Lingaraj temple and two individuals with expertise of conservation of monuments, amongst others.“Meetings of the PAC will be called at regular intervals to finalise various issues related to development of the EKAMRA Plan area. All plans, projects, interventions and initiatives in the project area will be approved by this committee,” the notification stated.

Surprisingly, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) which had flagged violations in Ekamra Kshetra mission in February following demolitions, will not be part of the advisory panel. The INTACH had additionally submitted 15 solutions for a heritage delicate growth plan to the Chief Minister who is among the founding members of the conservation physique.State Convenor of INTACH AB Tripathy stated that he can’t query the choice of the Odisha authorities. “But including INTACH would have added much more value to the panel as we have worked extensively on Ekamra Kshetra’s protection”, he stated.

The authorities envisages growth of the Ekamra heritage mission in 80 acre of land across the Lingaraj temple, which homes a number of different monuments, heritage constructions and holy tanks like Bindu Sagar. The plan will embrace interventions for conservation and revival of the monuments, growth of facilities for devotees and pilgrims, pedestrianization of the mission space, and diverting the site visitors to the periphery of the Ekamra mission space.Ahead of the Odisha authorities submitting the Ekamra mission plan to the DG ASI for approval as per norms, the BMC has already carried out demolition drives within the protected space limits of Lingaraj temple and Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation Limited is now establishing a highway associated to the mission.