Dr. Mahesh Sharma, MoS I/C Culture chaired a meeting today with Shri Ashok Chandra Panda Minister of Culture, Tourism, Odia Language & Literature Govt. of Odisha, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of P&NG and SDE, MPs and MLAs from Odisha, Secy. (Culture) GoI, Secy (Culture) GoO, DG ASI and other officials to discuss conservation efforts and replacement of pulverized carved stones at Konark Sun Temple.
Dr Sharma and ASI reassured that conservation is as per international norms and the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904. Health of the Konark SunTemple is sound and of utmost priority to the Narendra Modi government- a fact which he has already communicated to Shri Naveen Patnaik.
It was also decided in the meeting that ASI would share the findings of the International Workshop held at the Konark Sun Temple in 1997 and 2010 and the related Action Taken Reports with the Government of Odisha .Dr. Mahesh Sharma took the initiative and offered to convene a high level meeting at the State Secretariat in Bhubaneswar in the upcoming days with representatives from Government of Odisha and ASI to discuss the best possible future plan of action for the Konark Sun Temple .
Dr. Mahesh Sharma and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also raised the pending land allocation for the Paika Bidroha Memorial with the Government of Odisha delegation for which letters have been issued to Chief Minister of Odisha in the past by Dr. Mahesh Sharma and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, and once again requested a prompt clearance for the same.
