Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday directed the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India to swiftly complete the excavation work of the protected site at Rakhigarhi, the historical city of Indus Valley civilization, and to ensure the security of the historical site so that no person can cause any damage.
Chairing a meeting with the officials regarding the development of this area as an archaeological site at the under-construction museum building in Rakhigarhi, Khattar said that Rakhigarhi has historical importance, hence safeguarding these mounds is of utmost importance.
Proper security arrangements will be ensured by the police here after having a discussion with the Director General of Police. Besides this, the Archaeological Survey of India, on its behalf, should also ensure the deployment of private guards to ensure additional security. Furthermore, no soil excavation in the protected area should also be ensured.
The Chief Minister directed the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India to formulate a master plan for all the 11 mounds of Rakhigarhi. He said that a long-term rehabilitation policy should be formulated for the rehabilitation of the displaced.
While drafting the policy, emphasis on ensuring the means of livelihood of such rehabilitated families should be given along with providing them the best residential facility. Arrangements should be made for rehabilitation by talking to the villagers with the help of local MLAs, Panch-Sarpanches, said Khattar.
The Chief Minister said that a Home Stay Policy has been prepared by the Haryana Government, under which the villagers can offer one or two rooms in their houses to the tourists. For this, licenses will be given by the tourism department. With this Home Stay Policy, the people of Rakhigarhi will get new employment opportunities. The State Government aims to popularize the homestay culture in the State, so that while the local people get new employment, the tourists also get a chance to know the culture of Haryana closely, asserted Khattar.
Citing the example of Tikkar Taal in Morni Hill, the Chief Minister said that there are about 30 families who have been given licenses under the Home Stay Policy and they are taking complete advantage of it.
Khattar directed the officers to strengthen the three side road network starting from Hansi, Jind and Barwala till Rakhigarhi. Besides this, the road having a cumulative length of 5.5 kilometers from Gaibi Nagar (Kinnar) to Rakhigarhi should be widened and strengthened and additional land should be purchased soon through the e-bhoomi portal for this purpose.
Sign boards highlighting the historic importance of Rakhigarhi should be installed on National Highway and State Highway. Besides this, the historical importance of Rakhigarhi should also be displayed on the premises of Haryana Tourism Corporation and other tourist places so that the people of the state and the country can get information about Rakhigarhi and tourism in Rakhigarhi should be promoted in the coming days.
Haryana Government is constructing a museum of an international stratum in Rakhigarhi, in which about 5000-year-old Indus Valley artifacts will be preserved. With the development of Rakhigarhi as a tourist destination, on one hand, the tourist footfall will increase, on the other State’s revenue graph will also get a major boost along with creating new employment opportunities for the youth of the village, official added.
Located in the Narnaund sub-division of Hisar district of Haryana Rakhigarhi’s archaeological evidences are scattered in the nearby fields scattered around two villages (Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shahpur) villages. During the preliminary excavations at the Rakhigarhi site, a cluster of seven mounds were found which together formed the largest settlements of the Harappan civilization.
56 skeletons have been found in Rakhigarhi since 1998. The skeletons of two women found in the excavation of mound number 7 are about 7,000 years old. Shell bangles, a copper mirror and semi-precious stone beads have also been found in the hands of both the skeletons. The presence of these shell bangles suggests that the people of Rakhigarhi had trade links with distant places.