Karnataka Boudha Sahitya Mattu Sanskrutika Parishat urged the State government to set up the Sannati Development Authority during the upcoming Belagavi Assembly session.
Suresh Kanekar, founder president of the Parishat, addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Friday, demanded that the State government set up the Sannati Development Authority and establish a research centre at Sannati, and allocate special funds to develop the nine major Buddhist sites in Karnataka into international tourist spots.
Mr. Kanekar said that Kanaganahalli and Sannati in Chittapur taluk are important Buddhist heritage sites. Rare findings from the 1st and 3rd century Satavahana period, including stone carvings showing Emperor Ashoka and inscriptions in Pali, Brahmi, Prakrit and Devanagari, make the site unique, he added.
Though a museum, library, guest house, staff quarters, and landscaped gardens have already been built at Sannati by spending huge funds, the entire complex is lying unused due to a lack of maintenance, Mr. Kanekar added, and urged the government to immediately take over the buildings and open them to the public.
He demanded that the government shift major Buddhist artifacts from the Kalaburagi museum and other places to the museum in Sannati.
Mr. Kanekar said that even though the government issued an order in March 2024 to set up the Sannati Development Authority, it has still not been created. He added that while development authorities like Kaginele and Basavakalyan have received adequate funds and made good progress, Sannati continues to be ignored.
Mr. Kanekar reiterated that the State government decide in the upcoming Belagavi session to set up the Sannati Development Authority, allocate special funds, and develop the nine Buddhist inscriptions as international-level heritage sites.
Published – December 05, 2025 08:00 pm IST
