JOIN USDattapeeta caves may be repaired soon
Deputy Commissioner N S Chennappa Gowda has agreed that he had received a letter with regard to the visit of the expert team to inspect the cave. He said that the repair works will be taken up on priority basis after the team submits its report.
The ceiling of Datta cave got damaged about 2 years ago and the repair works was not taken up mainly due to the delay at the Government level and due to various applications and pleas filed with the Court.
A part of the cave collapsed due to the heavy rains that lashed on June 29, 2008. The cave was covered with plastic so as to avert further damage. Public Works Department, on the direction of Geological Survey of India, even prepared a proposal for repairing the cave and sent it to the Government. However, the repair works have not been started yet.
In September 2009, an organisation named Binyas Construction, which had expertise in repairing ancient caves took up the repair work and thus the ceiling of the cave was fortified. Unfortunately, though Government has then made huge promises of providing Rs 2.09 crore, no money has been released yet.
Meanwhile, some organisations, as per the direction of Sangh Parivar alleged that the cave was being designed in such a way that looks like a religious place of one particular religion. They moved the court on the same grounds.
The High Court issued a stay order and this was questioned by the Government at Supreme Court. Recently, the Apex Court order that the cave will be repaired as per the dirctions of ASI and on this backdrop, the team of experts will be visiting the cave. The team will have ASI Official Paramananda, Tejaswi along with a team of photographers.
However, it must be mentioned that the Government has not yet released any money for the repair of the Datta caves, which is the pride of Chikmagalur district.