BJD MPs urge Centre to expedite Barabati Fort renovation work

BHUBANESWAR: BJD's Rajya Sabha members, Subhash Chandra Singh and Sasmit Patra, have urged the Centre to expedite the renovation work of Barabati Fort (Gadakhai) in Cuttack assigned to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
In a memorandum to Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy, the BJD parliamentarians said despite several correspondences from the Cuttack Municipal Corporation and the Odisha government, neither did the ASI authorities start the renovation work nor did they hand over the same to the state government.
The Centre has already sanctioned Rs 16 crore for the renovation of the historic fort in Cuttack.
"When I had raised the issue during the budget session of the Parliament, the then tourism minister had assured me in the Rajya Sabha that the Centre has already released the fund and the ASI would start the work soon. Three months have elapsed since then, but the ASI authorities are yet to start the work," Singh said.
He, however, turned optimistic after submitting the representation. He said the renovation work would be completed in a short span of time as the Union minister has taken the representation in a positive manner and assured to direct the ASI authorities to start the work soon.
Barabati Fort dates back to the 13th century and was built by the rulers of the Ganga dynasty in Cuttack. A moat surrounds the 105-acre fort, which was declared as a protected monument in 1915. The ASI is the custodian of the protected area.
As part of the renovation programme, an auditorium, an interpretation centre, a gallery and various public amenities will be created to attract more visitors to the fort. The state government had also prepared a plan to give the fort a facelift through the creation of various facilities like a bridge over the moat and water-based recreation facilities.