{
  "id": 10411851,
  "title": "Patna High Court goes hard on Bihar government over upkeep of Barabar Caves",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/patna-high-court-goes-hard-on-bihar-government-over-upkeep-of-barabar",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T09:28:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bihar/patna-high-court-goes-hard-on-bihar-government-over-upkeep-of-barabar-caves/article71519127.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Patna High Court has harshly criticized the Bihar government and local administration for neglecting the historic Barabar Caves, a 3rd-century BCE Mauryan-era site situated in Jehanabad. The court expressed deep concern over the lack of basic amenities and the administration's apparent indifference towards preserving the ancient site, which it compared to how other states maintain their cultural heritage.\n\nDuring a hearing on September 21, 2026, a single bench of Justice Rajiv Roy questioned why the Barabar Caves, considered unparalleled in the world, would face such neglect if it were located in any other part of the world or in other Indian states with renowned Buddhist sites. The court highlighted the ongoing issue of poor sanitation, absence of clean drinking water, lack of restrooms, and the dilapidated condition of the historic inspection Bungalow under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department.\n\nThe court emphasized that the revenue generated from the annual Sravani Mela, a major event held at the site, should be reinvested in improving infrastructure, sanitation, security, and green cover. However, it seemed that the district administration had failed to learn any lessons, resulting in the site remaining in a state of utter neglect. The court further directed the District Magistrate of Jehanabad to submit a record of the revenue collected and spent on development over the past five years, and the Superintendent of Police to inform about the steps being taken for visitor safety after a stampede claimed seven lives in August 2024.",
  "summary": "Hearing a petition, a single bench of Justice Rajiv Roy questioned the continuous negligence of the ancient site, drawing sharp comparisons to how other states preserve their cultural heritage",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Capital FM Kenya",
        "title": "High Court pardons IG Kanja over breach of protest order",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/high-court-pardons-ig-kanja-over-breach-of-protest-order",
        "published": "2026-09-28T08:18:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}