Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad urges Law and Judiciary Department to probe technical and financial lapses in the Garuda Mandap project
Kolhapur, Maharashtra: A fund of ₹21,68,26,794 was sanctioned by the government for the repair and conservation of the Garuda Mandap, Manikarnika Kund, and Nagarkhana within the premises of the Shri Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur—one of the three-and-a-half Shaktipeeths and a revered place of worship for millions of devotees.
However, several serious lapses have emerged in the functioning of the State Archaeology Department, the Western Maharashtra Devasthan Management Committee, and the district administration during this conservation process. Advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, National President of the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, has submitted a written demand to the Secretary of the State’s ‘Law and Judiciary Department’ seeking a thorough inquiry into these irregularities and demanding that accountability be fixed on those responsible.
Technical and administrative lapses in the work
Gross negligence at both administrative and technical levels has been observed in the ongoing work at the Garuda Mandap. Due to incorrect dimensions, the stone pillars brought for the mandap had to be replaced three times. It is imperative that financial accountability be fixed for the waste of time and additional expenditure caused by this technical blunder. Furthermore, while the conservation of ancient heritage architecture mandates specific traditional, scientific methods, modern machinery such as grinders and cutters was used during the actual execution. Local devotees have raised serious objections, pointing out that this caused damage to historic murtis. In a sensitive undertaking like conservation, an expert officer was appointed to oversee the work a full 10 months after the project began—a delay that raises serious suspicion.
Oversight failures: Questions raised over administrative and archaeological role
The Assistant Director of the Archaeology Department in Pune had approved the layout for this work on 24 November 2023. While it is mandatory that the technical sanction of the budget, the tendering process, and the execution of the actual work strictly adhere to the rules and standards of the Archaeology Department, it is evident that the officials concerned failed to exercise proper oversight. The District Collector of Kolhapur serves as the Chairman of the Western Maharashtra Devasthan Management Committee. This raises the question of whether periodic reports regarding the progress and flaws in this project were submitted by him to the Law and Judiciary Department. Furthermore, it must be clarified whether the responsibility of the Law and Judiciary Department is limited merely to approving the budget, or extends to monitoring the process and the utilisation of funds once work has commenced.
Key demands of the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad
- In light of the questions arising from the ongoing work, the Law and Judiciary Department must immediately appoint an independent committee of inquiry to probe the entire matter.
- Financial accountability for the extra expenditure incurred on replacing the pillars and other planning lapses must be fixed on the responsible individuals, and the money recovered from them.
- Since the State Archaeology Department falls under the Cultural Affairs Department, both the Law and Judiciary Department and the Cultural Affairs Department must intervene jointly in this matter.
- In addition, the representation strongly demands that all documents pertaining to the project be scrutinized without delay, seized if necessary, that an on-site physical inspection be conducted, and that strict action be initiated against the errant officers and contractors.
- The funds received by the Devasthan stem from the immense devotion of devotees. Government officials or concerned agencies must not squander these funds arbitrarily. The Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad has urged the administration to bring complete transparency to this process and take stringent action against those responsible if irregularities are confirmed.
