ASI Notice Just Before Amrita Fadnavis's Chandrapur Shivling Event Sparks Row Over Illegal Construction Just hours before a renovation ceremony for Chandrapur's protected Lalpeth Shivling in the presence of Amrita Fadnavis, the Archaeological Survey of India has ordered a halt to construction it says was carried out illegally inside the monument's prohibited zone. A ceremony scheduled at Lalpeth in Chandrapur on Tuesday, September 8, meant to mark the restoration of a centuries-old, protected Shivling in the presence of Amrita Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has instead run into a legal roadblock just hours before it was to begin, after the Archaeological Survey of India flagged construction work around the shrine as illegal. What the ASI Found During a routine inspection of the site, officials of the Archaeological Survey of India noticed that granite flooring had been laid around the Shivling, and that a cement brick wall along with a permanent shed had come up inside the complex. The department has objected to this work, saying it falls inside the prohibited zone surrounding a monument of national importance. The ASI has now written to the president of the Lalpeth Vishal Shivling Mandir Seva Samiti, ordering an immediate halt to the work and the removal of what it calls encroachment. Why the Zone Around the Shivling Is So Sensitive The monolith at Lalpeth, referred to officially as the Ekashma, Chandrapur, is a nationally protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, any land within 100 metres of a protected monument's boundary is treated as a prohibited zone where fresh construction of any kind is simply not permitted. The next 100 to 300 metres form a regulated zone, where construction can go ahead only after clearance from the competent authority. It is this framework that has put the renovation work at Lalpeth under the scanner, since the shed, the wall and the granite flooring all appear to sit inside that first, strictly banned ring around the monument. An MLA's Funds and an Unanswered Permission Question According to what has emerged so far, local legislator Kishor Jorgewar contributed money from his discretionary fund towards the construction at the site. What remains unclear, and is now central to the inquiry, is whether anyone sought or received the mandatory clearance before building inside a zone where construction is banned outright. That single unanswered question is what has turned a renovation ceremony into a controversy just as the event was about to unfold, and it is likely to decide whether the work survives at all. Penalties on the Table and a Police Complaint in the Works The ASI notice states that unauthorised construction was discovered inside the prohibited zone of the Lalpeth Ekashma, Chandrapur during a routine inspection, and it invokes Section 20(A) of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act to describe the new construction as a violation of the law. The notice warns that such violations carry a punishment of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or both, and it directs the committee to tear down the construction and restore the site to its original condition. Separately, Nitin Bansod, district president of the Lok Andolan Nyas, has also lodged a complaint with the ASI over the same construction, and the department is reported to be preparing to file a police complaint against the temple committee's president. Should that complaint be registered, the matter would move well beyond an administrative notice and into criminal proceedings that could drag on for months. The Show Goes On, For Now None of this appears to have slowed preparations on the ground. Ahead of Tuesday's inauguration, banners announcing Amrita Fadnavis's visit have gone up across the city, and administrative arrangements for her presence have continued at full pace even as the ASI notice became public. Whether the renovation ceremony proceeds as planned, or whether authorities step in given the unresolved questions over the legality of the construction, remains to be seen, and residents of Chandrapur are watching closely to find out. What this means for you The biggest practical fallout is that construction done without ASI clearance near a protected monument can now be ordered demolished, and whoever built it can face criminal charges. • Across India: Anyone planning to build, renovate or even lay flooring near a nationally protected monument must first check whether the spot falls within the 100-metre prohibited zone or the 100-300 metre regulated zone under the 1958 Act. Skipping ASI clearance can mean forced demolition and prosecution, as is now playing out in Chandrapur. • In Chandrapur, Maharashtra: Residents attending Tuesday's ceremony may see the newly built granite flooring, wall and shed ordered removed if the ASI directive is enforced. The temple committee could also face a police complaint and legal proceedings over the work. • For the temple committee: Its president faces a possible penalty of up to two years in jail or a fine of up to one lakh rupees under Section 20(A) if the violation is confirmed. The committee has also been told to restore the site to its original condition at its own cost. • For public representatives: MLA Kishor Jorgewar's use of his discretionary fund for the construction could draw scrutiny over whether public money was spent on work that lacked the required clearances. Why this happened The dispute stems from construction carried out around a nationally protected monument without the clearance the law requires, discovered only when the ASI carried out a routine inspection just before a high-profile public event. • Direct cause: Granite flooring, a cement brick wall and a permanent shed were built inside the 100-metre prohibited zone around the Lalpeth Ekashma, which the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 puts completely off-limits to new construction. • Funding and timing: The work was funded through MLA Kishor Jorgewar's discretionary fund and appears to have been completed ahead of Tuesday's renovation ceremony, though whether prior permission was sought remains unconfirmed. • Has this happened before: There is no information on whether similar violations occurred at this site earlier, so that remains unclear. • What comes next: The ASI has ordered the construction stopped and the encroachment removed, and is reported to be preparing a police complaint, which could push the matter from an administrative notice into a criminal case. Questions & Answers 1. What event was scheduled in Chandrapur on September 8? A renovation inauguration ceremony for the historic, ASI-protected Shivling at Lalpeth was scheduled in the presence of Amrita Fadnavis. 2. What did the ASI's inspection find? Granite flooring, a cement brick wall and a permanent shed built inside the monument's prohibited zone. 3. Who has the ASI ordered to stop the construction? The president of the Lalpeth Vishal Shivling Mandir Seva Samiti has been told to halt work and remove the alleged encroachment. 4. Which law defines the prohibited zone? The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, which bans construction within 100 metres of a protected monument. 5. Who funded the construction? Local MLA Kishor Jorgewar reportedly provided the money from his discretionary fund. 6. What penalty could be imposed for the violation? Up to two years in prison, a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or both. 7. Has a police complaint been filed? The ASI is reported to be preparing a police complaint against the temple committee's president, and Nitin Bansod of the Lok Andolan Nyas has already lodged a separate complaint. 8. Did the notice halt preparations for the ceremony? No, banners have gone up across the city and administrative arrangements have continued. https://trendkia.com/en/national/amrita-fadnavis-ki-maujudagi-vale-chandrapur-shivalinga-ayojana-se-pahale-puratatva-vibhaga-ka-notisa-avaidha-nirmana-para-macha-b-29411 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.