NEW DELHI: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has apparently started the process to release enhanced compensation for 100 acres of land acquired at Dholavira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gujarat.
ASI Director General (D-G) YS Rawat told this newspaper that the payout would be given as decided by the court. “The proposal has been put up for formal approval. Due to a few administrative issues, it was delayed. However, the delay was not intentional. The process is going on. Compensation fixed by the court would be given. On our request, we were granted some relief. We are trying our best,” he said.
As the survey failed to pay up the cost fixed by the district court Bhachau in Kachchh, the order for the attachment of its Rajkot Circle office was issued.
On June 11, a five-member team of the court had reached the Rajkot circle to attach its office.
However, following the intervention of D-G, 15-day time was granted to the agency to address the issue. The deadline ended on June 25.
According to the sources, the court team visited the site on Monday to check whether a decision had been taken with regard to the matter.
“The court officials left without any action as they had just come to inquire about the decision. They left, without any action, to seek instructions from the court,” sources said.
In 2004, the ASI acquired around 100 acres of land at the prominent Harappan sites, where the ASI has its circle office. Following the acquisition order, the compensation was paid at the rate of Rs 0.65 paisa per square metre (sqm).
Subsequently, nine landowners moved the district court in Bhachau Kachchh seeking higher compensation, which was granted in 2023. The higher rate of compensation allowed by the court was Rs 9.57 per sqm.
As the ASI neither challenged the order nor paid the compensation, the land owners went to court again for early payment. As the payment was not made, the court issued an attachment order, arguably for the first time in the history of the Survey, on May 3.
Later, the local ASI office wrote to the concerned special land acquisition of the district to seek his opinion to challenge the order, but received no reply.
While the matter was under consideration at higher levels and with the Ministry of Culture, the ASI’s Rajkot Circle sought 25 days from the court, effectively halting the attachment proceedings.
Earlier, sources said that the Integrated Finance Division (IFD) had already rejected the request for higher compensation because of the steep hike, and asked the ASI to take a legal opinion and fix responsibility for not challenging the order.