Governor for review of Buddha statue project

Governor for review of Buddha statue project

Deccan Herald

The Forest department has been asked to carry out an inspection of the Handigundi Reserve Forest area and submit a report on the project.



Governor T N Chaturvedi has asked for a review of the project to carve a Buddha statue on the Handigundi rock, near Ramanagaram, before it is sent to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for final clearance.

His direction is said to have come in response to media reports and the strong opposition raised by nature enthusiasts in this regard.

Mr A K Verma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), revealed this at a meeting with a group of nature enthusiasts, who had gone to Aranya Bhavan on Monday evening, to give a representation urging the cancellation of the project at the earliest.


Visit on June 2

Given this development, Mr Verma is slated to visit Handigundi Reserve Forest area on June 2 to conduct an inspection and review the project from a wildlife conservation point of view before submitting a report to the State government.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (General) Mr R M Ray too appeared to disapprove of a project, which would mean subjecting an ‘awe inspiring and humbling rock to chiselling for a commercial purpose’. “That would be humiliating for nature itself is god,” he said and added that nature is not for someone to manipulate and make money.

Support to ASI

While calling for greater sensitisation at regular intervals lest the zeal among people goes down, he said that the promoters of the project may as well support the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The ASI is cash-strapped, and hence is having trouble with restoring several of the ancient monuments in India, he pointed out.

While the State government had given in principle clearance to the Buddha statue project, to be undertaken by the Sanghamitra Foundation, the project has still not reached the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests pending financial clearance between the project promoter and the Forest department.