Bhubaneswar: The government will allot Rs 5 lakh each to ancient temples in various parts of the city for their repair and maintenance.

The maintenance will be done in coordination with the culture and tourism department and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. Councillors have been asked to submit the list of monuments in need of repair to the government.

The decision was taken on Friday during the civic body's monthly council meet after several councillors showed concern over the state of different temples, which are not under the control of private or government bodies.

"The bigger temples or those which got heritage tag are being maintained by the state or the central governments, but the smaller ones are being neglected. They also need care for which we raised the issue and the culture minister made the announcement," said a councillor.

Culture minister Ashok Panda has asked the councillors to furnish the list of temples in their locality so that the money can be granted. He, however, clarified that the temples should be under public use and not belong to private owners.

Unit-III resident Anand Tripathy said the city was known for its temples and there should be efforts to keep those assets in good condition. "Bhubaneswar is known as the temple city. There has to be no partiality when it comes to their maintenance," said Tripathy, a retired government employee.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said they were aware of the city's status and making efforts to keep that tag intact.