This is one of the oldest projects taken up by Chief Minister Mayawati in the city. Under it, a 225 meter long and 1.65 meter high boundary wall of Mirjapuri chunar will be erected to keep it in sync with the Kanshiram Memorial, Ambedkar memorial and the Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan.

The Nigam is the implementing agency and PWD is the nodal agency.

The ASI has objected to the construction as the site is close to mausoleums of Nawab Mushir Zadi and Nawab Saadat Ali Khan near Begum Hazrat Mahal Park — a prohibited zone as per the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act.

“When construction began in October, the ASI had served a notice to the principal secretary, PWD, and the building agency, reminding them that it was a prohibited zone. A copy was forwarded to the chief secretary too,” said Superintending Archaeologist I D Dwivedi. The agency stopped work immediately, but later, it applied for a No Objection Certificate. The ASI had rejected the application, Dwivedi added.

“But construction was resumed two days ago,” said Assistant Superintending Archaeologist Indu Prakash. A government engineer said the work had been resumed on the government's instruction “as it is a priority project”.

Admitting as indeed started, PWD Engineer-in-Chief Tribhuvan Ram said: “The project was approved last year but it could not take off due to certain reasons. I have no knowledge of any ASI objection.”

In fact, the ASI had also raised objections when the Parivartan Chowk was founded in 1995.

In 1997, fountains and a garden were added to it. Statues of dalit icons like B R Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Narain Guru and Chattrapati Shauji Maharaj were erected at four corners of the chowk, and a statue of Gautam Buddha was installed at the centre — again in the face of ASI objections.