Bhubaneswar, Nov. 17: Vacancies in Bhubaneswar circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are affecting conservation work at several monuments across the state.

The issue has become particularly relevant following the stone-falling incident at the paschim dwar (western entry gate) of Jagannath Temple.

Sources said 68 posts at various levels were lying vacant in the Bhubaneswar ASI circle. However, despite staff crunch, the ASI is taking care of 78 monuments across the state, including 23 in the state capital and two in Puri. The sanctioned strength of the ASI for the state is 195.

Conservationists feel the incident at the Puri temple could have been avoided. A skeletal engineering staff to look after the historic monument could be a major reason behind the incident. One junior engineer-ranked conservationist was looking after the entire premises.

Sources at the Bhubaneswar ASI circle office said the post of one deputy superintending archaeologist (DSA) had been lying vacant since September 2010. Absence of an official in such a key position is affecting the day-to-day administration as at present, a superintending archaeologist and one DSA are managing the show. “When the superintending archaeologist is absent, the DSA cannot go out of the office even in case of any emergency,” said a senior ASI official.

Similarly, in the excavation branch, one DSA post has been lying vacant in the circle since the transfer of S.K. Khamari, DSA to the office of the regional directorate (east), in Calcutta, in 2010. This has affected undertaking fresh excavation work in the circle.

Important conservation, going on at the world heritage monuments such as Sun Temple in Konark, Jagannath Temple and the Buddhist sites at Ratnagiri Lalitgiri, are affected in the absence of a deputy superintending engineer. It has been lying vacant since the retirement of B.C. Mukherjee in 2005.

Now, the posts of assistant superintending archaeologists (ASA) at Ratnagiri and Konark museums are also vacant because of transfer and promotion of J.K. Patnaik to Dharwad circle in August 2010. Conservation is suffering at a time when the region is having its attention on the Buddhist shrines around Ratnagiri. Moreover, many posts of conservation assistants and foreman are also vacant in the circle office.

“Because of staff crunch, conservation is not being properly carried out. Moreover, officials coming from other regional offices while being posted at the Bhubaneswar circle are concentrating more on returning back to their respective places through lobbying at the central office,” sources at the ASI said.

Chief secretary Bijay Patnaik directly blamed the ASI for the stone-falling incident at the Puri temple. Culture and tourism secretary Ashok Kumar Tripathy said the department was coordinating with the ASI for better conservation of the monuments, along with the well-known monuments, in the Golden Triangle — Konark-Puri-Bhubaneswar — tourism circuit.

It can be recalled here that a story in The Telegraph on the waterlogged Vaital Temple moved the ASI authorities and the culture department to take action on its conservation aspects.

Former superintending archaeologist of the state archaeology Bijay Kumar Rath said: “The conservation body should aptly implement its strategy with better staffing pattern as Odisha has one of the most important monuments from archaeological point of view. They can take the other experts’ help if need be.”

Deputy superintending archaeologist of the ASI (Bhubaneswar circle) Hemsagar Abhay Naik said: “The incident at the Puri temple could have taken place because of a technical fault in the iron clamp, which has been there for centuries. However, the director general’s office of the ASI has decided to fill up vacant posts. A total of 45 Group-D vacancies will be filled up from the existing temporary staff through a 3:2 ratio selection criterion following an internal selection process. Moreover, 23 posts will be filled up though direct recruitment. At present, there are 195 employees serving under the Bhubaneswar ASI circle.

Regarding the delay on part of the director general’s office in filling up posts in the local circle, Naik said things were proceeding at slower pace because the all-India workload of the central office. On quality of conservation of monuments in Odisha, he said: “The ASI may take steps late, but the work is definitely of high quality.”