Bhubaneswar, April 6: The Ministry of Home Affairs has raised objection to the Odisha government’s Shri Lingaraj Temple Ordinance. The ministry said that several sections of the proposed ordinance were in conflict with the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act.

In a letter to the Odisha Governor’s office, the ministry has pointed out that the state government has already violated the AMASR Act around Lingaraj temple by building modern structures. The Raj Bhavan received a letter from the ministry on March 23 which was forwarded to Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra on March 31.

The ordinance was passed in the State Cabinet in December 2020 to bring the Lingaraj Temple and its eight associated shrines in Bhubaneswar under a separate law.

Detailed provisions have been made in the proposed Ordinance covering all relevant aspects, such as, constitution of Managing Committee, its composition, responsibilities and powers, Administrator’s responsibilities and powers, maintenance and management of movable and immovable properties of the temple, role and responsibilities of the servitors, constitution of the temple fund and its management etc.