Experts express concern as Palampet Special Development body lacks decision-making authority

HYDERABAD: The constitution of the Palampet Special Development Authority to effectively manage and provide adequate protection to the Kakatiya Rudreshwara temple, which received the UNESCO world heritage site tag last year, has not gone well with experts. They feel that the committee comprises only district and regional level officials, who do not have the decision-making authority.

On July 5, the State government issued GO Ms No 117, constituting the committee, with the Mulugu district Collector as the chairperson, the district’s town planning and country planning officer as the member secretary, and conservation assistant, assistant director of heritage Telangana in Warangal, district tourism officer, SE/EE of Mulugu Irrigation Department, regional joint director of endowments department, the sarpanch of Palampet and a representative from the Kakatiya Heritage Trust.

Some stakeholders in the planning, conservation and protection of the buffer zone coming under the world heritage site feel that having all district-level officials will not only become an obstacle in the way of development of the site but would also further delay the decision-making process.

“The highest authorities from neither the ASI, which has played a crucial role in getting the heritage tag for the temple nor the heritage Telangana have been made part of the team. Except for the Mulugu Collector, most of the members are local officials with limited domain expertise, which will come in the way of speedy execution of the works or planning,” a stakeholder in the site’s conservation and protection informed Express, on condition of anonymity.

Hampi was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2002, after which the Karnataka government constituted the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority and not only the deputy commissioners of Bellary and Koppal districts were made chairperson and vice-chairperson of the committee respectively, but the committee also had the director of archaeology and museums, director of town planning of Bengaluru, director of town planning of Bengaluru, director of tourism of Bengaluru, superintendents of Police of Bellary and Koppal, superintending archaeologists of ASI Bengaluru and Dharwad circles, two ZP CEOs, superintending engineers, environment officers, deputy conservator of forests and the head of archaeology of Kannada University in Hampi as the members.

The committee was entrusted with preparing survey reports, preparing development plans, carrying out works under the development plan, formulating schemes for implementing the development plan, coordinating its execution, raising funds for the development, to take action to protect the property within the heritage area, to raise awareness about the significance of the site and to promote and encourage proper research to understand the archaeological and historical and environmental values of the site.

In the context of Ramappa temple, there is a forest area which falls within its 500-metre buffer zone and which comes under the Forest Department. However, no higher official from that department has been made a member. In the absence of an extensive composition of experts in various domains as the stakeholders, officials say that the primary objective of achieving the world heritage site tag for the temple and its other components can’t be fulfilled.

As the process of formulation of the functions and other aspects of the committee is still ongoing, experts are hoping the State government will take decisions with a comprehensive and broader outlook.

HYDERABAD: The constitution of the Palampet Special Development Authority to effectively manage and provide adequate protection to the Kakatiya Rudreshwara temple, which received the UNESCO world heritage site tag last year, has not gone well with experts. They feel that the committee comprises only district and regional level officials, who do not have the decision-making authority. On July 5, the State government issued GO Ms No 117, constituting the committee, with the Mulugu district Collector as the chairperson, the district’s town planning and country planning officer as the member secretary, and conservation assistant, assistant director of heritage Telangana in Warangal, district tourism officer, SE/EE of Mulugu Irrigation Department, regional joint director of endowments department, the sarpanch of Palampet and a representative from the Kakatiya Heritage Trust. Some stakeholders in the planning, conservation and protection of the buffer zone coming under the world heritage site feel that having all district-level officials will not only become an obstacle in the way of development of the site but would also further delay the decision-making process. “The highest authorities from neither the ASI, which has played a crucial role in getting the heritage tag for the temple nor the heritage Telangana have been made part of the team. Except for the Mulugu Collector, most of the members are local officials with limited domain expertise, which will come in the way of speedy execution of the works or planning,” a stakeholder in the site’s conservation and protection informed Express, on condition of anonymity. Hampi was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2002, after which the Karnataka government constituted the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority and not only the deputy commissioners of Bellary and Koppal districts were made chairperson and vice-chairperson of the committee respectively, but the committee also had the director of archaeology and museums, director of town planning of Bengaluru, director of town planning of Bengaluru, director of tourism of Bengaluru, superintendents of Police of Bellary and Koppal, superintending archaeologists of ASI Bengaluru and Dharwad circles, two ZP CEOs, superintending engineers, environment officers, deputy conservator of forests and the head of archaeology of Kannada University in Hampi as the members. The committee was entrusted with preparing survey reports, preparing development plans, carrying out works under the development plan, formulating schemes for implementing the development plan, coordinating its execution, raising funds for the development, to take action to protect the property within the heritage area, to raise awareness about the significance of the site and to promote and encourage proper research to understand the archaeological and historical and environmental values of the site. In the context of Ramappa temple, there is a forest area which falls within its 500-metre buffer zone and which comes under the Forest Department. However, no higher official from that department has been made a member. In the absence of an extensive composition of experts in various domains as the stakeholders, officials say that the primary objective of achieving the world heritage site tag for the temple and its other components can’t be fulfilled. As the process of formulation of the functions and other aspects of the committee is still ongoing, experts are hoping the State government will take decisions with a comprehensive and broader outlook.