New Delhi, March 12 The government is developing 15 archaeological sites into tourist centres, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Thursday.
During Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that previously, excavation sites were closed after scientific excavation, but the Union Budget this year has made provisions to develop archaeological sites into experience centres.
"We are working to develop 15 sites of archaeological importance into experience centres," Shekhawat said.
He was replying to a question from BJD member Sulata Deo about restoring monuments in Odisha's Diamond Triangle.
Shekhawat said that the Diamond Triangle is very important, and recently, during an excavation in Udayagiri, a large relic of Lord Buddha was found. The state government can request the Centre to utilize current schemes to develop the site into a tourist centre.
During the session, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that Buddhist sites along the Bhima and Krishna rivers be taken care of, and that excavation be carried out in the area.
He demanded that more excavation should be carried out in Gulbarga, Karnataka.
Aam Aadmi Party member Ashok Kumar Mittal asked about the steps being taken by the cultural and external affairs minister to restore and conserve historic Gurudwaras overseas.
Shekhawat said that the government creates schemes for conserving Indian cultural heritage, regardless of the religion it belongs to.
"I would like to bring this to the attention of the honourable member that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, which is located on the other side (in Pakistan), is available to the people of India for pilgrimage," Shekhawat said.