₹12 lakh allocated for conservation plan of Kundrandar Temple in Pudukkottai district
This has been disclosed by Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in reply to a question raised by the Tiruchi Lok Sabha Member Durai Vaiko in the Parliament.
The temple, also referred to as Kunnandarkovil, is situated about 35 km from Pudukottai.
Mr.Durai Vaiko had asked whether it was true that conservation and maintenance works at the temple had been halted or remained unattended for over 25 years and whether there was any plan to resume and complete the restoration and maintenance works at the site.
Mr.Shekhawat, in his reply, said the rock-cut Shiva temple, with its mandapam depicting wheels in the front, was a monument of national importance under the maintenance of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
'Regular maintenance and conservation works are taken up periodically based on the requirement, priority and resources available... Maintenance and conservation of the maintenance are regular process of work and the ACP for the said monument is made for an amount of ₹12 lakh for this financial year,' the Minister said.
The 412 protected monuments and areas under the jurisdiction of the ASI in Tamil Nadu, including the temple, were regularly maintained and conserved, he maintained.
The officers of ASI conduct periodic inspections to monitor the status of conservation, maintenance and necessary repair works of these protected monuments and areas. These efforts ensure the proper upkeep and protection of heritage structures in the State, he added.
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