Hazaribag: The director of the department of tourism, art, culture, sports and youth affairs, Arif Ekram, on Monday inspected the megalits at Pakri-Barwadih village under Barkagaon block of Hazaribag district to review development initiatives and address local concerns.Detailed briefing from district planning officer (DPO) Pankaj Kumar Tiwari informed Ekram that a Rs 3-crore Corporate Social Responsibility fund given by NTPC Ltd. was earmarked for the development of the megalithic site spread over 1,600 sq mt. A Rs 1.99-crore proposal was sent to the state govt for the construction of a boundary wall.Local raiyats and villagers raised concerns related to land compensation and employment opportunities. Ekram directed officials to carry out proper demarcation of land and verify the total area and number of landowners concerned. Revenue staff were asked to submit detailed land records.Villagers pointed out that the site fell under the NTPC mining zone and demanded acquisition of land by the state govt for development of a Megalithic Park.Responding to the concerns, Ekram said the matter would be examined carefully. He stated that a geological survey would be conducted first and based on the report, a proposal would be sent to the central govt seeking denotification of mining activities to allow development of the Megalithic Park.He assured that all future work would be carried out only after due legal procedure and with consent and cooperation of the local raiyats and villagers.The director also inspected the ancient Buddhist stupa located at Pachparwa, about 400 metres from the Megalithic site.
