Vizag Features - Heritage lovers oppose film club at Thotlakonda

Around 50 heritage lovers including members of Intach as well as members of the Indo-Japan Society gathered at Thotlakonda Buddhist Archaeological site on Wednesday to device a strategy to oppose the indiscriminate digging on the hill for the proposed Vizag Film Nagar Cultural Centre or Film Club, despite the site housing an archaeologically protected monument.

As per documents from the revenue department, the president of FNCC from Hyderabad had requested for allotment of lands in kapuluppada, Bheemunipatnam to construct a FNCC at Visakhapatnam. Recently, after inspection of the lands, the Vizag district administration has found it suitable to set up FNCC on 15-acre land at Thotlakonda. The documents mentioned that the market value of the said land is 2 crore per acre. The Vizag district Collector had submitted necessary lease proposals that the land to be allotted on lease basis for 33years on payment of lease rent at Rs 1.50 lakh per annum. In this regard, advance possession of the land was already given to FNCC through GO NO 411.

Thotlakonda and Bavikonda form an important part in the Buddhist heritage of the district and A.P. Recognising the archaeological and historical significance of these sites, the Government of Andhra Pradesh issued Government Order No 627 in 1978, where the Thotlakonda site, located in survey no 314, was declared as a protected site under the Andhra Pradesh Ancient and Historical Monument Sites and Remains Act.

Regarding the site of the film club on the Archaeological Heritage Site - Thotlakonda Hill, Intach life member Shabnam Patel said, "its shocking to observe that the local urban bodies and the district administration are turning a blind eye to the desecration of its valuable archaeological sites that are treasure houses of the Buddhist past and a violation of the existing land regulations. The entire hill should be protected as per GO 627, But construction of the film club on this hill clearly violates this GO. The hill is also classified as poramboke land, which means that its government land reserved for public purposes and for the use of the community at large. How poramboke lands were sub-divided and carved out even after the existence of GO 627, without any public review process, remains unclear, Under the circumstances, any permission for the film club on the Thotlakonda hill should be withdrawn forthwith. Intach as a body that holds the archaeological heritage of Visakhapatnam in trust also opposes stongly, the construction of the film club in its present location in Thotlakonda."

Moreover, unlike a museum or Buddhist research institute, the film club constructed on Poramboke land, wouldnt cater to the public. "Its going to be a private club, with astronomical high annual membership fees running into several lakhs of rupees, which only the richest and elitist can afford. We have already field queries Under Right to Information Act (RTI) regarding this issue and We will ensure that the public protest against destruction of this ancient heritage site gathers momentum," pointed out Jayshree Hatangadi, another Intach life member.

"Theres a large, unused area on hill that houses the film city. Instead of Thotlakonda, a film club or the FNCC can be located at the place, which houses the film city. So both the film club and film city can be placed at one site to promote the cause of Andhra film industry, instead od disturbing and destroying the sancity of the Buddhist heritage site," added Hatangadi.

Intach members and other heritage lovers in their gathering at Thotlakonda, urged the district collector, vice-chairman of Vuda and other political representatives to put a halt to the construction of the proposed film club or any other building on the hill. Its important we re-assess the situation and urgently establish the ground rules through a public review process to help us in effectively protecting historically and archaeological heritage of the district and the state. Our Buddhist heritage has a great tourism potential. It would be extremely short-sighted of us to destroy this potential in a bid to create modern and commercial structures that wipe out our heritage," added Patel.

* Its shocking to observe that the local urban bodies and the district administration are turning a blind eye to the desecration of its valuable archaeological sites that are treasure houses of the Buddhist past and a violation of the existing land regulations. The entire hill should be protected as per GO 627.

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