Kamakhya Corridor: Jayanta Mallabaruah’s statement in breach of HC order, says petitioner

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 28, 2024

Assam tourism minister Jayanta Mallabaruah’s statement that the construction works of Kamakhya Access Corridor would begin soon after Ambubachi Mela draws flak as a petitioner of the public interest litigation (PIL) filed before the Gauhati High Court on Friday said that it is malicious and in breach of the Gauhati High Court orders of June 19 and 21.

On June 22, Baruah said that the persons behind the court proceedings in the Kamakhya Access Corridor case are motivated and that the work on the corridor will resume after Ambubachi Mela.

“This statement of Jayanta Malla is malicious and in breach of the Gauhati High Court orders of June 19 and 21,” the petitioner Gitika Bhattacharya said here in a statement on Friday.

Gitika Bhattacharya and 12 others filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court seeking an appropriate writ, order or direction to the respondent(s) to issue a white paper regarding the proposed ‘Maa Kamakhya Temple Access Corridor’ which is proposed to be constructed by the state government’s public works department (PWD) under the Centre’s ‘PM-DevINE’ and ‘PRASHAD’.

“On June 21, the High Court in PIL 12 of 2024, in which I am the lead petitioner passed an order recording the undertaking of the Advocate General Assam, that IIT has been engaged to undertake a study of the impact of the proposed construction on the sacred springs in the ‘garbha griha’ of Sri Sri Ma Kamakhya. A similar undertaking has been given in petition of Navajyoti Sarma that no construction will commence without a geo-hydrological study by IIT Guwahati of the sacred underground springs,” Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya said this undertaking constitutes an order of the court and the statement by Jayanta Malla responsible for the corridor project is clearly in breach of the court order. If any construction activity is undertaken, this will constitute contempt of the High Court orders.

“Jayanta Malla has made a long statement, but has not dealt with the main issue as to whether the corridor project will disrupt the flow of the sacred underground springs and the very basis of Sri Sri Ma Kamakhya worship being have contact with the holy water from the spring,” Bhattacharya said.

Kamakhya Temple Access Corridor is a project to be constructed under the PM-DevINE at a cost of Rs 402 crore. The Kamakhya temple and its premises will be modernised under the announced project. The PWD (Housing and Highways) was given the responsibility of concept planning for the implementation of this project.

The plan for the project consists of several multi-storey buildings which will be constructed near Kamakhya temple. These will include clock rooms, ticket counters, information centres, souvenir shops and others.

After bagging the tender, Larsen and Toubro have the responsibility for the construction of the corridor.

According to the PIL, the project construction work in Kamakhya temple can have a serious impact on its geological environment.

However, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who visited the temple on Friday told reporters: “The construction work of the stalled Kamakhya Corridor will start as per the advice of the IIT Guwahati experts,

He also assured that the project would not cause any damage to the Kamakhya temple complex and the residents of Nilachal Hill.