HC directs ASI officer to appear on prayer hall repair PIL

Voicing displeasure on the failure of Archaeological Survey of India in submitting its latest status on repair work of the prayer hall of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Orissa High Court today directed the ASI superintendent to submit a report on November 17.
Earlier last month, the high court had refused to interfere into the technical aspects of the repair work of the Jagamohan or prayer hall but had made it clear that it would monitor the legal aspects in ensuring that these works at the 12th century shrine were completed soon.
Basing on this observation, the ASI had provided a time schedule of the work in which it had informed the court that fixing of steel pillars in the prayer hall would be over by November.

Accordingly, a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Vineet Saran, while adjudicating over the relevant PIL on October 4, had asked the ASI to submit its latest status report by November 4.
But, the ASI failed to do so during the stipulated period and today sought some more time to submit the report.