Telangana High Court on Wednesday instructed the State and Central governments to prepare a comprehensive plan for conservation and management of the iconic Ramappa temple in Mulugu district, which was recently recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
A Bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy directed the officers concerned to file status reports on the matter within four weeks. The Bench took up a newspaper story as PIL petition. Observing that “it was not an adversarial litigation”, the CJ said it was a golden opportunity for both the governments to showcase the temple before the world.
The Bench made it clear that officers of different departments of both governments have to make concerted efforts for the purpose. “You never work in tandem… It is a national monument...You have to give it your best shots..” the CJ said.
Referring to the World Heritage Committee’s recommendation seeking a conservation and management plan for Ramappa temple, the Bench told the authorities that they “should not miss the opportunity”. It instructed the Archaeological Survey of India, State Archaeological department, department of Heritage and Mulugu District Collector to nominate officers of senior rank to coordinate with the project. They should prepare the plan within the framework of World Heritage Committee.
“Time started running...Work with alacrity...You are under the lens of the entire country,” the Bench remarked, referring to the officials. It ordered that ASI’s superintending archaeologist at Hyderabad should chair a committee of officials to prepare the conservation and management plan.
The committee should constitute its first meeting on August 4. Thereafter, regular meetings should be held. It should prepare a blueprint of the conservation plan with milestones and timelines while filing status reports from time to time to complete the task, the Bench said.