Monument ‘missing’ in Haryana: RTI reply

Parveen Arora
Tribune News Service
Karnal, April 17

Haryana has 89 monuments and sites being preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) — responsible for archaeological research and conservation of monuments — but one has been declared a “missing monument”.

Kos Minar at Shahabad (Kurukshetra) is a “missing monument”, according to ASI’s reply to an RTI query by Panipat-based activist Amit Rathee, who had sought information about the maintenance of ASI sites and monuments along with their status in Haryana.

The ASI has no information on how and when the monument disappeared. An official, however, said the Kos Minar might have been demolished by the people.

The ASI spent Rs 9.18 crore on the maintenance of these sites between April 1, 2015, and February 28, 2019.

The RTI reply said six sites — the ruined fort of Prithviraj Chauhan in Hansi; ancient mounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 at Rakhigarhi, Hisar; Ther mound in Sirsa; Theh Polar at Siwan in Kaithal; ancient site Khokrakot in Rohtak; and ancient mound at Naurangabad in Bhiwani — have been encroached upon and cases are pending in the HC.