VISAKHAPATNAM: The Buddhist Monument Protection Society is up in arms against the fresh attempts being made to alienate 15 acres of land for Film Nagar Cultural Centre in survey number 314 at Thotlakonda Buddhist Heritage Site in Vizag. The State government issued a GO on February 12 with regard to the extent of protected area under the Monuments and Archaeological Act. The society claimed that Thotlakonda heritage site is spread over 600 acres and not 120 acres as cited by the government in the Order. It demanded a resurvey of Thotlakonda heritage area by the Archaeological Survey of India as per the 1978 records.
Society convener Kothapalli Venkataramana told TNIE that attempts were being made to reduce the extent of the heritage site. He said when the previous TDP government proposed to give land for the film society, there was stiff opposition from historians and the general public alike and the government dropped the plan. Now, the YSRC government is trying to give land to the society and sought public opinion. He said they already submitted 500 petitions from people opposing the notification.
Speaking to TNIE, former union energy secretary EAS Sarma said the 1978 Government Order issued under the AP Archaeology Act notified the entire S.No. 314 (old) of Kapuluppada bounded by hills (about 3,000+ acres) as prohibited area under Thotlakonda. No land can therefore be alienated to anyone within that. To circumvent it and permit real estate activity, the AP Culture Department has issued a draft notification reducing it to 120 acres, calling for objections, Sarma said.
“I have filed my objections. Main objection is that a foreign researcher, Prof Lars Fogelin, surveyed 7.3 sq km of S.No 314 and found around 300 micro archaeological sites and ceramic artefacts in that survey number. He had then taken permission of the AP Archaeology Department for conducting the survey,” Sarma said.
Instead of exploring further, the state government, in short sight, was trying to denotify the area, thereby regularising past violations, and the future construction activity will efface valuable archaeological evidence that represents the cultural heritage of north Andhra, he said. INTACH convenor Mayanka Devi said it is not just 120.88 acres on Thotlakonda, the entire hill should be declared as a protected area.
She said a professor from Michigan University had conducted an extensive survey and mapped the entire area. The government was trying to limit 120 acres based on superficial excavations and there should be more excavations. INTACH will mobilise people’s support, she said. Venkataramana said they met BJP state vice-president P Vishnukumar Raju and sought his support to the agitation. Raju told the delegation that he would fight against the government’s move.