Gaya, Feb. 24: The four-member Unesco World Heritage Centre team today ruled out the possibility of evacuation of residents from the core and the buffer zones in the course of implementation of the master plan for Bodhgaya.

The team, instead, stressed upon socio-economic development and uplift of the people. Conservation of the world heritage Mahabodhi Mahavihara as well as regional development was the main motive of World Heritage Centre (WHC), the members added.

Since the preparation of the master plan for Bodhgaya after Mahabodhi Mahavihara was declared a world heritage site by Unesco on June 27, 2002, fear of evacuation has been haunting people residing around the world heritage Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

An area of 500m around the Mahabodhi Mahavihara has been identified as core zone and another kilometre circle as buffer zone. However, now the area of core and the buffer zones were likely to be re-defined.

Representatives of the Archeological Survey of India present at the meeting accepted that there was some confusion regarding the identification of the core and buffer zones. They said the Mahavihara campus only should be identified as core zone and its outer circle as buffer zone. The WHC members cleared that there would be a holistic approach to protect the world heritage monument of Mahabodi Mahavihara as well as the interests of the residents.