Planned development of the south central Bihar Buddhist pilgrimage town of Bodh Gaya, and of the Unesco world heritage site of Mahabodhi Mahavihara located therein, may soon get a fillip following initiation of a proposal for the constitution of the Bodh Gaya World Heritage Buffer Zone Management Authority (BGWHBZMA).
The Bodh Gaya Temple Management committee (BTMC), which manages the Mahabodhi temple, has sent a proposal to the Bihar government for constituting the authority, headed by the commisioner of Magadh division, under which Bodh Gaya falls.
As per the proposal sent to the state’s urban development department, the Gaya district magistrate-cum-Bodh Gaya Temple Management committee (BTMC) chairman, will be the ex-officio secretary of the proposed authority.
Other members of the proposed authority will include the chief monk of BTMC, executive officer of the Nagar Panchayat, executive engineer of the public works department, Gaya SSP, archaeological survey of India Patna circle superintendent, representative of urban development and forest departments, a representative of UNESCO, director of state archaeology, besides five persons nominated from different fields.
The idea to set up the authority was mooted in 2012, when a 10-member team of Unesco’s World Heritage Committee, led by Liang Jong, had urged the state government and the BTMC to constitute a separate body to ensure protection of the UNESCO world heritage site and to ensure an encroachment-free buffer zone around it.
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