Rajasthan
Guhila Dynasty idols of Hindu gods, smuggled to US in 60s, on way back to Rajasthan | Jaipur News
JAIPUR: Rajasthan is set to receive five stone idols belonging to the 6-7th century from the US authorities in the coming months. These idols of Lord Ganesha and Hindu goddesses were smuggled to the US from an archaeologically protected Tanesar Mahadev temple in the Udaipur district between 1965-68 through the sea route. The Department of Archaeology and Museology (DAM), Rajasthan, took almost a year to convince the Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU), New York County Attorney’s Office that the idols were stolen from the Indian temple and these date back to the Guhila Dynasty (7th century).
These idols came to light after an Indian cultural body spotted pictures of them in a magazine in the US some years ago. They demanded the idols in 2-3 museums across the US be repatriated to India.
It is now slated to be completed by March 2024.“This delay has seen appreciation in input cost of the refinery under various heads. Steel prices have shot up by 45% as well as cement, etc. Even the exchange rate has shot up by 15%, contributing to the cost overrun,” Puri said.
The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and the state government have a 74% and 26% share, respectively, in the joint venture. The current capacity of the refinery is 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA). It has an in-built capacity of an additional 9 MMTPA.
Once commissioned, the project will reduce crude import costs by Rs 26,000 crore.
Terming the refinery as a ‘Jewel of the Desert’, he said that the project is a big gift from PM Narendra Modi to Rajasthan and a perfect example of utilising capital expenditure for Atmanirbhar Bharat. It will provide direct employment to 35,000 people and indirect employment to 1 lakh. The project, conceived in 2008, was initially approved in 2013. But it took four years to receive the final approval from the Centre in October, 2017. The foundation stone was laid by PM Modi in January 2018.
These idols came to light after an Indian cultural body spotted pictures of them in a magazine in the US some years ago. They demanded the idols in 2-3 museums across the US be repatriated to India.
It is now slated to be completed by March 2024.“This delay has seen appreciation in input cost of the refinery under various heads. Steel prices have shot up by 45% as well as cement, etc. Even the exchange rate has shot up by 15%, contributing to the cost overrun,” Puri said.
The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and the state government have a 74% and 26% share, respectively, in the joint venture. The current capacity of the refinery is 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA). It has an in-built capacity of an additional 9 MMTPA.
Once commissioned, the project will reduce crude import costs by Rs 26,000 crore.
Terming the refinery as a ‘Jewel of the Desert’, he said that the project is a big gift from PM Narendra Modi to Rajasthan and a perfect example of utilising capital expenditure for Atmanirbhar Bharat. It will provide direct employment to 35,000 people and indirect employment to 1 lakh. The project, conceived in 2008, was initially approved in 2013. But it took four years to receive the final approval from the Centre in October, 2017. The foundation stone was laid by PM Modi in January 2018.
