Cuttack, August 9: The Orissa High Court on Thursday reserved its judgement hearing a writ appeal against the order of a single judge on the issue of granting licence to photographers inside the Konark Sun Temple premises.
The photographers had appealed the High Court after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) restricted the entry of photographers having identity card of state tourism department at the 13th century monument.
The ASI has issued license to 10 photographers to operate in the premises of Konark Sun Temple following its changed rule in 2018.
A single judge disposed of the petition on January 5, 2022 with an order that said, “It follows that apart from tourists, only those who have valid licence for purpose of conducting photography in precincts of protected monuments are to be allowed to enter.”
The ASI adopted a policy to issue licence only to those photographers who fulfilled the minimum matriculation qualification after the high court order, following which a writ appeal was filed on January 25, 2022 claiming that the new policy of the ASI has affected the livelihood of 154 photographers who had been operating inside the temple for decades.
Hearing the writ appeal, the High Court asked the ASI if there can be a one-time exception provided to the 154 photographers who do not have a matriculation qualification considering the long period they have been in the profession at Konark Sun Temple and the loss of their livelihood.
When the matter was taken up on Thursday, advocate Subir Palit made submissions on behalf of the appellants emphasising on livelihood issue and advocate Chandrakanta Pradhan representing ASI.
Taking note of the submissions of both parties along with the affidavit of the superintending archaeologist of ASI (Puri Circle), the division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho closed hearing and reserved judgment on the writ appeal. However, the bench did not specify any date for pronouncement of the judgment.
