An eight-member delegation from ‘Struggle Committee’, led by the coordinator M. Krishnamurthy and V. Ramanujam, president, FCWAP, a task force constituted by The Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram (FCWAP), to resolve the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) issue, recently met Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, at New Delhi.
They submitted a petition highlighting the grievances of the residents of Old Pallavaram and sought re-examination of the No Objection Certificate order by the ASI.
The Federation seeks total exemption in this regard. The familiesthat built houses on approved plots in survey numbers 63 and 57, classified as megalithic sites, are the worst-affected. They are not able to sell or alter their houses.
Responding to the appeal of the delegation team, Sharma assured that the issue would be solved within a month.
The members also met B.R. Mani, additional Director General (ADG), ASI, in New Delhi.
Mani told the delegates that the Chennai Circle Office of ASI informed him that 83 per cent of the area was not fit for archaeological research.