The Budget proposal to develop Rakhigarhi, the largest site of the Harappan culture in the Indian subcontinent, into a “vibrant, experiential cultural destination”, was met with scepticism rather than celebration, in the village in Haryana’s Hisar district, with residents claiming that little work has been carried out at the site since a similar announcement was made in the 2020-21 Union Budget.

The Budget proposal to develop Rakhigarhi, the largest site of the Harappan culture in the Indian subcontinent, into a “vibrant, experiential cultural destination”, was met with scepticism rather than celebration, in the village in Haryana’s Hisar district, with residents claiming that little work has been carried out at the site since a similar announcement was made in the 2020-21 Union Budget.

Zila parishad member from ward no. 28 and former Rakhigarhi sarpanch Dinesh Sheoran said the residents did not distribute sweets this time as they did five years ago. “Little work has been done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to develop the village. Only a shed has been erected on mound no. 4, a 500-square-yard plot, and a boundary wall constructed in 1996 has been painted,” he claimed.

Deputy Director, Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Narender, said a hostel, a guest house and a cafeteria had been constructed and inaugurated by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini last year. The civil work for a museum was “almost complete”, said Mr. Narender, adding that all these works are being done by the State government.

He said the Haryana government has prepared a ₹206 crore detailed project report, which includes better connectivity to the village and the mounds, and the entire work is expected to be completed by 2027.

An official from ASI’s Chandigarh Circle said the agency has spent around ₹1 crore on the project so far, adding that no separate budget had been allocated by the Central government for the development of Rakhigarhi. ASI Additional Director General Sanjay Manjul did not reply to a question on the work carried out by the ASI.

Aside from Rakhigarhi, Union Finance Minister had, in her 2020-21 Budget speech, announced the development of four other archaeological sites — Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Sivasagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu) — as iconic sites with on-site museums.

The news had brought a cheer to the residents, who hoped the development would place their village on the international map and create job opportunities for the youth.

Revamp of 15 sites

In her Budget speech on Sunday, Ms. Sitharaman proposed to develop 15 archaeological sites, including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Adichanallur, Sarnath, Hastinapur, and Leh Palace.

“Excavated landscapes will be opened to the public through curated walkways. Immersive storytelling skills and technologies will be introduced to help conservation labs, interpretation centres, and guides,” she said.

‘Global landmark’

Addressing the gathering at the second State-level Rakhigarhi Mahotsav last month, the Chief Minister said the Centre had decided to allocate ₹500 crore to develop Rakhigarhi into a prestigious global landmark. He also inaugurated the Harappan Knowledge Centre on the occasion.