Lalitgiri villagers resent faulty publicity ahead of Museum inauguration

Cuttack, Dec 22: Even as the Laligiri village in Cuttack district is abuzz with activities for preparation and arrangement ahead of the scheduled inaugural programme of the state-of-the-art museum by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the villagers are unhappy over the faulty publicity of the jurisdiction of the famous Lalitgiri Buddhist site.

                According to the villagers, even though the Laitgiri village and the Lalitgiri hill come under the revenue administration of Cuttack district, the publicity campaign launched by authority concerned in different electronics media ahead of PM’s visit is highlighting that it falls under Jajpur district jurisdiction.

                This sort of lopsided dissemination of information has triggered resentment not only among the locals but also among the intellectuals across the Cuttack district.

                “As per the Record of Right (ROR), the entire Lalitgiri hill comprising of five plots covering an area of total 91 acres of land is belongs to Lalitgiri revenue village under Mahanga Tahasil in Cuttack district. But it is a matter of utmost regret that the publicity campaign launched ahead of PM’s visit is falsely depicting that Lalitgiri is coming under the jurisdiction of Jajpur district,” said Lalitgiri Anchalika Unnnayan Parisad President Rudra Singh.

                Budhhayan, a leading Buddhist Cultural Organisation of Lalitgiri, however, urged the authority concerned for publicity of the true jurisdiction of Lalitgiri after rectifying the error.

                On the other hand, hectic preparation is on at Lalitgiri for much awaited inauguration programme of the modern and sophisticated museum built over 13000 square ft of land with an expenditure of Rs. 9.41 crore at the pedestal Landa hill atop Lalitgiri to showcase the rare and precious sacred bone relics of prominent Buddhist luminaries discovered from this site in the bullet-proof glass case set up inside the museum.

               Officials of Bharat Sanchar Niagam Limited are busy providing internet facility by stretching OFC cable up to the museum to facilitate the inauguration programme through video conferencing system, while the Archeological Survey of India(ASI) officials are shifting and arranging other Buddhist sculptures and images discovered during the excavation in the museum.

                Sources said, the discovered relic caskets containing bone presumed to be that of Lord Buddha and his favourite disciples would be brought from ASI strong room and enshrined inside the bullet-proof glass case of the museum on December 24.