Labourers work at the Vikramshila University excavation site in Kahalgaon. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, Nov. 15: Dilapidated roads and the alleged delay in land acquisition by the state government might hamper Archaeological Survey of India’s conservat- ion plan for the partially excavated site of Vikramshila University.

The ancient university was established by King Dharmapal between AD 750 and 1174. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had decided to speed up conservation measures at the site near Antichak village under Kahalgaon sub-division. But the road ahead for the conservation project is not smooth.

Sanjay Kumar Manjul, superintending archaeologist, Patna circle, said: “The ancient seat of learning is cut off from the rest of the state because of bad roads. The condition is so bad that people have to cover the 8-km stretch from Kahalgaon to the site on foot. The director-general of ASI had visited the site in 2009. He, too, had emphasised on the improvement of the roads to Vikramshila.”

Manjul added that he had earlier sent a proposal to the ASI headquarters in New Delhi. According to the proposal, the first phase of the project would cost around Rs 2 crore. As part of the plan, the monument and excavated cells on the campus of the university would be given a facelift. In the second phase, a museum would be developed. There are also plans to construct tourist cottages at the site.

“Around 50 per cent of the excavated monastery needs reconstruction. We have a lot of work to do. ASI has the technology to accomplish the project,” he said.

An ASI team, led by R.K. Bajpai, superintending archaeological engineer, headquarters, visited the site on November 9 to ascertain the feasibility of the project. Manjul said: “We can complete the project. But who will visit the site if there is no road?”

He added that more land would be required to complete the excavation. “But land acquisition is still hanging in a balance. We have requested the state government to speed up the process several times, but in vain.

“The conservation project for Junglisthan Tila, located close to the excavation site, has also been sent to the ASI headquarters for approval. That project would also be hampered if land in not acquired in time.”

Neither district magistrate Narmadeshwar Lal nor Kahalgaon sub-divisional officer Sanjay Kumar was available for comment.

Social activist and Vikramshila expert Pawan Kumar Choudhary, however, criticised the government for the delay in the conservation project. “It is the responsibility of the state government to provide the land and infrastructure. The government should take care of Vikramshila, like Nalanda,” he said.

Manjul said: “The conservation of the heritage site is essential as it would help future generations learn more about the golden age in the history of our country.”