Cabinet approves development of Ashoka inscription site at Maski

Maski: State govt has approved a proposal to develop the site of the renowned Ashoka inscription in Maski, the town that first brought emperor Ashoka to the world's attention.The decision was made during a cabinet meeting held in Kalaburagi on Tuesday, where the tourism department's proposal to develop a list of tourist spots was approved, including Rs 10 crore for the Ashoka inscription site at Maski.R Basanagouda Turuvihal, MLA and chairman of the Khadi Village Industry Board, expressed his delight, stating, "The govt has responded to the long-standing demand of the people to develop the site of Ashoka inscription into a tourist centre."Former MLA Pratapagouda Patil explained that in 2019, the tourism department had already released Rs 1 crore for the development of the inscription site, and two acres adjacent to the site were acquired. However, due to the stringent regulations of the archaeology department, only Rs 50 lakh was utilized.The inscription, written in Brahmi script and identifying Ashoka as ‘Devanampriya Ashoka', was discovered by researcher Beadon in 1915 on a hill 2km from the town. Mahanthesh Maski, a prominent literary figure, welcomed the govt's initiative to develop the site.