Tamil Nadu - Kancheepuram   

Stop construction near protected zones, ASI tells Collector

Staff Reporter

"Municipality has violated guidelines by starting school building near temple"

KANCHEEPURAM: The Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle, has urged the District Collector to ensure that illegal and unauthorised construction is not taken up in the vicinity of ASI monuments in Kancheepuram town.

Expressing concern over the violation of the ASI guidelines by the Kancheepuram municipality, which took up construction of a school building near the Vaikuntha Perumal temple, a protected monument, the Chennai Circle office claimed that several individuals had taken up illegal and unauthorised constructions around the Muktheeswarar temple, the Mathangeeswarar temple and other ASI protected monuments citing the construction of the school building by the local body.

Permission only for repair

In a letter to the Collector, the ASI said it had only granted permission to the municipality to take

up repair to the school building and not for new construction.

The letter (dated 17-03-05) to the municipality said no alteration should be made to the height and characteristics of the building.

Citing a complaint from ward councillor G. Sambandam, the ASI said the Kancheepuram municipality went ahead with the construction ignoring the conditions laid down by it.

The ASI urged the Collector to issue directions to the civic body to stop the work immediately and demolish the constructed structures.

Plea to TNEB

Forwarding a copy of the letter to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, the ASI urged the Board not to provide power to the "illegally" constructed buildings near the ASI monument zones.

Mr. Sambandam said the municipal chairman and the Commissioner should be held responsible for the loss incurred by the civic body if the buildings constructed were demolished.

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Stop construction near protected zones, ASI tells Collector

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