Conserve Ramappa, Telangana High Court tells Telangana Government

Hyderabad: The High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy on Wednesday directed the Telangana State government to form a committee under the chairmanship of Superintendent Archaeologist, Hyderabad circle and the District Collector, Mulugu for preparing the entire dossier related to Ramappa temple, and for completing the conservation and management plan within the stipulated time and submit the same on or before December 21.

The Chief Justice bench directed the officials to hold the first meeting of the committee on August 4 and thereafter regular meetings after the joint survey of areas undertaken by the concerned officers, and file a status report to the court within four weeks. In view of the recent recommendations made by the World Heritage Committee in its 44th session declaring the iconic Ramappa temple as UNESCO World Heritage site, the court converted a newspaper article on Ramappa temple into a taken up PIL and adjudicated it for the purpose of monitoring the endeavour of the State government and other concerned departments in sending the conservation and management plan of the Ramappa temple within the time prescribed, so that the Ramappa temple gets the world heritage tag.

"We expect all the departments to work with alacrity and together prepare the blueprint of the iconic temple as demanded by the UNESCO, which will give a permanent world heritage site status," observed CJ Hima Kohli, adding that it was the golden opportunity that knocked on the doors of Telangana government and the opportunity should be utilised because if the temple succeeded in getting a world heritage tag, then it would attract tourists from not only from India, but across the world.

"Time has started running down and will expire in December. Before that, the entire infrastructure around the temple should be created, besides bringing the monument to such a level so that it gets the world heritage tag," observed the Chief Justice, adjourning the matter to August 24.