BHUBANESWAR: Endorsing the State Government's ambitious plans to promote the State as a major international destination for Buddhist tourists and pilgrims, the 12th Finance Commission has released a grant of Rs.6 crores for conservation of Buddhist heritage sites.

Speaking to The Hindu , Culture Secretary Gopinath Mohanty said the funds would be utilised in a phased manner in four years at the rate of Rs.1.5 crores per annum commencing from the current fiscal year.

While the focus would be on the sites in and around Langudi Hills where major excavations are on, some sites in Cuttack, Angul, Balasore, Khurda, Boudh, Ganjam and Bargarh districts will also be included in the programme, he added. Elaborating, Mohanty said Rs. 25 lakhs would be spent on the rock cut elephant of Kaima while a similar amount would be utilised for the Deuli hills. Tarapur, Bajragiri, Radha Nagar and Kantigadia would receive Rs. 15 lakhs, Rs. 12 lakhs, Rs.10 lakhs and Rs.5 lakhs respectively, he said. A Buddhist museum will be set up with Rs.20 lakhs, it was learnt.

Buddhist sites at Buddhakhol in Ganjam district, Banapur of Khurda, Shyamsundarpur and Paragalpur in Boudha, Ganiapalli and Nrusimhanath in Bargarh and Ayodhya in Balasore district have been identified to be covered under this ambitious conservation programme, the secretary said.

While a project cell has been set up in the State Culture Department for monitoring the programme, the Institute of Maritime and Southeast Asian Studies in Bhubaneswar that was excavating the hill in collaboration with the Orissa State Archaeology, will take up the conservation work in Langudi region, it was learnt.

The Finance Commission has further released Rs.5 crores for Orissa State Museum, Rs.10 crores for HKM State Library, Rs. 6 crores for the State Archaeology, Rs. 2 crores for the Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi and Rs.1 crore for the State Archive, Mohanty said and added that an additional Rs. 5 crores had been released for heritage conservation of the pilgrim town of Puri.

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