The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Centre and the State government to come up with a firm commitment on allotment of funds for the beautification and upkeep of the ancient town of Mamallapuram.
Justices Vineet Kothari and M.S. Ramesh granted four weeks time to Special Government Pleader J. Pothiraj and central government standing counsel Sunita Kumari to file individual status report on allocation of funds.
The judges also warned that the Secretaries of the departments concerned would be summoned to the court if a positive report was not filed in the court by November 25. They said enough time had already been granted by the court for allocation of funds.
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The orders were passed on a suo motu public interest litigation petition taken up by the court last year following a letter written by Justice N. Kirubakaran, to the Chief Justice, impressing upon the need for proper upkeep of the ancient town.
The nine page letter had traced the history of Mamallapuram since the seventh century and pointed out that it was now a UNESCO world heritage site.
“The structures, which stands today in Mamallapuram (Mamallapuram), could not have been created in a few years and it would have taken centuries together during the Pallava reign. Solely due to their efforts and dedication, these sculptures stand as evidence of Pallava dynasty. However, in modern times, they are not properly maintained because of encroachments and unregulated constructions, obstructing free view of the monuments.” the senior judge had lamented.
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During the hearing on Thursday, Ms. Kumari told the court that the Centre had decided to give a facelift to 16 significant spots across the country and Mahabalipuram was one of them. She undertook to file a detailed report in this regard.