SIVAGANGA: Minister PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, while tabling the State budget, said that Keezhadi, Sivakalai and Kodumanal will be declared as protected archaeological sites and that Rs 5 crore will be allotted to carry out various excavations in the State a scientific manner.
The minister said that Keezhadi, Adhichanallur, Sivakalai, Korkai, Kodumanal and Gangaikondacholapuram bring to fore the culture and heritage of the State. “The excavations in Keezhadi have helped unearth various artifacts that throw light on ancient human settlement. The artefacts will be displayed in the world-class museum,” he said in his Budget speech.
The minister further announced in the Budget that deep-sea excavations in Korkai and Azhagankulam, the harbours of the Sangam era, would be carried out in coordination with National Institution of Oceanography, National Institute of Ocean Technology, and Indian Maritime University.
“The excavation in deep-sea is a costly affair. If the educational institutions have sufficient equipment to carry out the excavation inside the water then the cost would come down. But, if they do not have the equipment, the fund would be utilised for it,” he said.
An official from the archeology department said that the process of sending, testing and dating artefacts is a costly affair as it could be carried out only in authorised labs. “More the fund allocation in the Budget, more the samples that could be sent for the testing in laboratories,” he said.
Protected sites
Elaborating on the practice of the department, the official said that the department takes the land for carrying out excavation and later, after excavating, it will be handed back. “Once the land is declared as a protected site, the people could use it only for agriculture purposes, and no construction activities should be carried out in a distance of 300m from the site. He said that the minister has allocated Rs 16.66 crore for the Archaeology department.
Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Semmozhi Tamil Award
The award named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has not been given from 2010 onwards. The minister announced that the award, having a prize money of Rs 10 lakh, will be re-introduced and will handed over on June 3 every year. He also said that the government will focus on using Tamil as the official language in all the government offices.
20,000 leagues across history
The minister announced that deep-sea excavations in Korkai and Azhagankulam, the harbours of Sangam era, would be carried out
PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan also said that the government will focus on using Tamil as the official
language in all the government department offices
2010 onwards, the award named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi hasn’t been given