Retired IAS officer and social activist E.A.S. Sarma has opposed the reported decision of the State Government to construct a housing complex and a VIP guest house in an extent of 30 acres within Survey no. 314 (old) of Kapuluppada village near the ancient Thotlakonda Buddhist site.
Referring to news reports in this regard, Mr. Sarma, in a letter to Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, recalled his letters to the State Government in the past that the said site was notified vide G.O. no. 627 dated May 2, 1978, under the A.P. Ancient and Historical Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960. Any proposal to divert any part of this stretch of land for the ‘Executive Capital’ would amount to violation of the provisions of the above-mentioned Act, he wrote.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in its order dated November 29, 2016, had directed the State Government that no construction activity should be taken up within Survey No. 314 (old).
The rationale of the statutory notification is that the entire stretch of Survey No. 314 is potentially rich in archaeological evidence, relating to the Buddhist era of the 3rd Century BC, and any attempt to interfere with that stretch is likely to efface that evidence to the detriment of public interest.
The corresponding Central law and the notifications issued thereunder, another 300 m of a buffer zone consisting of ‘protected’, ‘prohibited’ and ‘regulated’ zones should also be left untouched. The Supreme Court, in its order dated January 16, 2012, reiterated this position and directed the authorities not to violate the same.
The need for protecting the notified area had been justified by Lars Fogelin, an anthropologist, who carried out an extensive surface survey all around the Thotlakonda excavated site and discovered over 120 micro sites belonging to the Buddhist era, outside the fenced area of the site, and located within Survey No. 314.
Mr. Sarma noted that despite several letters addressed time and again to the State Revenue Department, citing the case law on the subject, the State Government officials, either out of ignorance or for other reasons, seem to be persistent in diverting this land for construction activity, in violation of the Central and the State laws in place for the conservation of the ancient archaeological sites.
He reiterated his plea to the government not to go ahead with the proposed interference with the land in Survey No. 314 (old) of Kapuluppada village, failing which social activists would be constrained to seek judicial intervention.