Bhubaneswar, Aug. 24: Puri Jagannath temple administration and handicrafts department have locked horns over the ownership of precious stone mines putting at stake the fate of several artisans.
Last month the state handicrafts, handloom and textile department had announced to create a raw material bank by mining stones at Nahargarh, Khurda and Khiching (Mayurbhanj). The promise, however, could not take effect since the mines belong to the temple and its administration has decided not to allow mining rights to the department.
The fight over mines have left sculptors and other craftsmen worried, as the lack of raw materials has already started affecting their business.
The Odisha Shilpi Mahasangha, an association of craftsmen and weavers, today said that following repeated requests from artisans in 2013-14, the temple administration had allowed them to mine stones from the temple-owned quarries through the state-owned handicraft corporation Utkalika. However, the situation changed after the mining department asked the handicrafts department to get permission to mine precious stones such as khandolite. By the time the handicrafts department applied for the mining permission, the no-objection certificate of the temple administration had expired.
"For the past one year, over 30,000 Odia craftsmen are sitting idle for want of raw materials, especially stones. Before 2013-14, we used to buy the stuff at a hefty price from other states. But there have been several cases of our craftsmen being arrested on charges of smuggling. Now, the handicrafts department is not taking up the matter and the temple administration is not providing the no-objection certificate. So, are we supposed to bury our age-old craft for which Odisha is known worldwide?" said the president of the Mahasangha, Uday Mohanty.
Members of the association also said that many of them were not being given identity cards, as the handicrafts department was not helping them.
"Many of us are not being able to enjoy facilities and schemes meant for craftsmen. The handicrafts department officials do not listen to our problems. And now, the Puri temple administration has made things tougher. We wish to ask the temple administration if the Jagannath temple was not made of these stones? If yes, why we are not allowed to use stones found on temple land?" said Mohanty.
Last month, the handicrafts department had promised a raw material bank. Officials of the department said it had already applied for the mining lease so that artisans could get stones at low rates.
Chief administrator of Puri Jagannath temple Suresh Mohapatra said the handicrafts department or the Utkalika had no rights to apply for the lease.
"Since both the mines belong to the Puri temple, how could Utkalika or handicrafts department apply for mining lease? They were trying to take up the ownership of these mines. Even when they were allowed to use the stones from these mines in 2013-14, there was a racket and the stones were going not only to artisans, but also to others," Mohapatra said.
"We have now applied for the mining lease and we will call for tender and invite mine developers so that proper process is followed and whoever pays the right price uses the stones. These are not ordinary stones, but very high quality decorative stones. If the handicraft department takes part in the auction and purchases the rights to mine, we have no issues," he said.
However, Raja Parija, joint secretary of the handicrafts department, is hopeful of a solution.
"There was a high-level meeting last week and another one is scheduled next week. We are sure to find a solution so that our craftsmen get good quality stones at affordable prices. All the parties will sit and discuss again to understand the problems and find a way out," he said.
