Patna, May 15: If restoration and conservation of old sites and monuments in the state has been poor, part of the blame goes to rich history of Bihar.

“The main reason why very little care and attention are paid to ancient archaeological structures in the state is because we have a large number of ancient sites and monuments,” said Anjani Kumar Singh, the principal secretary, state human resource development department.

Senior government officers expressed their helplessness in managing large numbers archaeological sites in the state while criticising the outdated mechanism used for conservation of historic sites.

“You can easily see a number of ancient structures, mainly statues or other historical and archaeological objects, if you go to Nalanda. It is very difficult to conserve each and every thing which can be found easily,” Singh added.

The senior officer was speaking at a workshop organised by Nalanda Open University and Heritage Foundation, Patna, on the subject “problem of heritage conservation in India”.

The HRD principal secretary said Bihar is one of the few states in India which has important historical and archaeological sites and a cradle of civilisation.

Earlier, Daramvir Sharma of Archaeological Survey of India raised a series of questions on the preservation and conservation of ancient archaeological sites and structures in India.

Daramvir said: “We have failed to conserve many structures. The Grand Trunk Road connecting Calcutta to Peshawar had many Dak Chowkis, rest houses and minars but these structures are no more found today.”

Daramvir said: “64 years after Independence, we in India still follow the European style of conservation of ancient sites. If we follow the Indian style, the sites would be restored and the structures will regain their lost glory.”

Daramvir rued the lack of material and trained manpower for conservation of ancient monuments. Singh said: “Most of the structures of the Mughal period had a distinct style of construction. Patiyali limestone was used in the construction of these structures and it is very difficult to get Patiyali limestone today. Lack of trained personnel is another problem in conservation of these ancient structures.”

The archaeological officer also pointed out that various acts and provisions are there for preservation and maintenance of these structures but they have become outdated as they were formed before Independence. “Lack of interest among students in history and archaeology is another reason why we have not seen eminent archaeologists in recent times,” Singh added.