Gorewada megalithic site revival: Bidding to select new firm will begin soon

“The excavated skeletal remains and artefacts are no longer in good shape as they were never preserved appropriately since their excavation. Chemical reactions to oxygen and moisture have affected their quality. We have possibly missed out on the chance to study our past from the samples retrieved for the first time in India. I doubt if there will be any artefacts left to be displayed in the museum,” said an official, who was involved in the project, under condition of anonymity.

The proposed theme park, to be based at Balasaheb Thakare Gorewada International Zoological Park, will be jointly developed by Pune-based Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute and the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDMA), after the two signed an MoU in June 2018.

Even though all excavation-related works were completed in late 2018, which included discovery of six primary human skeletal remains — a first-of-its-kind find from the megalith period in India — the project remained stalled since then.

In August this year, Deccan College reopened the project files and issued an online tender notice that invited qualified architecture firms to participate in the project. Between September 1 and October 16, the applications were scrutinised and the bidding process will commence on October 28, the e-form for which was released on October 17.

The estimated cost of the project, to be completed in two phases, is Rs 8.49 crore.

Once ready, the theme park will showcase the complete sequence of human cultural development from pre-history to the Iron Age besides several other archaeological displays excavated from the site, including human bones, iron and copper tools, sickle and spearheads.

But there are further allegations against officials of Deccan College and their decision in 2018 to award the project to Pune-based Vishal and Akash Associates and contractor VM Sharma. This company had managed to complete only 25 per cent of the entire work before it exited the project three years ago.

Under the original plans, the first phase was to be completed in 2019.

In the wake of this delay and the abrupt abandonment by the architects, Deccan College was forced to repay Rs 1.60 crore to the FDCM, the funding agency of the project. So far, a total of Rs 1 crore has been spent without much progress in the work achieved, officials have said.

A petition alleging irregularities in the tendering and quality of works by the Pune-firm has been filed in the Pune Civil Court. The argument on the petition, filed by Abhijit Khedkar against the then Registrar, Jagannath Kulkarni of Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, is up for hearing on October 20.

The petitioner has noted how the earlier tender was awarded to the firm in an offline mode, even as e-tendering has been mandatory for awarding works where expenditure exceeds Rs 3 lakh since 2014.

“But in this case, Deccan College authorities flouted this rule and processed the tender in an off-line mode, the proofs of which have been submitted before the court and cognizance of it has been taken,” said Khedkar.