The excavation site at Khukhragarh in Bero block. File picture

Ranchi, Feb. 21: Pressure from tribal groups has forced sports, youth affairs, art and culture minister Bandhu Tirkey to order a temporary delay in the excavation at Khukhragarh in the Bero block.

But officials on the project say that the work has been stopped due to less manpower.

Tribal groups, during their visit a couple of days ago, had reportedly spotted a “hargahi” (burial ground) at the site of excavation, which they demanded should be handled by the art and culture department only after due consultation with them.

Tirkey, who on Wednesday had issued orders to stop the work, said he gave the directive as a mark of “respect” to the sentiments of some tribals and moolvasi sadans. He said the government now wants to take the leaders into confidence before proceeding with the task. “As tribals and the moolvasis are sentimentally attached to the place where the excavation is on, we want to go slow,” he said.

He also clarified that the government has just withheld excavation work and not stopped it. He said he has asked the tribal groups to form a committee of intellectuals, with which the government would hold discussions on the issue.

“Before selecting the site of excavation, the department did not examine whether the itwas inhabited by the tribals or the sadans. This lacuna may further affect the study of the artefacts,” claimed Karma Oraon, the head of the department of anthropology, Ranchi University, who has visited the site.

He also alleged that the excavation team is not handling the findings properly.

Officials of the culture department, however, said they are taking utmost care in handling the material. As work is going on under the direct supervision of Kumar Anand, a trained archaeologist, the excavation is not likely to go wrong, they pointed out.

They, however, did not attribute the withholding of the excavation work due to pressure of tribals or sadans.

Harendra Sinha, the deputy director of the art and culture department, who is the in-charge of the excavation work, said: “Work has been withheld for around three-four days as we did not have sufficient hands to go ahead with it.”

Sinha also said that the photographer of the department is sick, a reason why they had to stop the work temporarily.