Sirsa MP Kumari Selja raises Ther issue in Lok Sabha

The Congress MP from Sirsa, Kumari Selja, on Thursday demanded that 35 acres that were vacated should be developed into a museum or a park, and the remaining 50 acres should be de-notified in Ther in Sirsa district.

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The MP raised the issue during the zero hour in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. She urged the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,  that the 35 acres vacated in Ther should be recognised as archaeological land and should be developed into a park or a museum. She added that 713 displaced families should be resettled, and the remaining 50 acres should be de-notified.

While raising the issue in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, MP Kumari Selja said Ther was listed by the Archaeological Department in 1932. A team was formed to survey the land, which included officials from the Archaeological Department, Revenue Department, Patwari, Naib Tehsildar and Tehsildar. The team submitted a joint report to the authorities concerned in Sirsa, which included a marked survey, list, and maps, detailing 35 acres under the Archaeological Department. In 2017, due to a mistake by some junior administrative officers of the Haryana Government, 85.5 acres was marked instead of the original 35 acres. The 50 acres shown is located between the Thehad (mound) and Rania Road, where approximately 5,000 families reside and the land includes both residential and commercial establishments. This land has been registered for the last 70-80 years.

Selja said that in 2017, the 35 acres of land in Ther were cleared, and 713 families residing there were temporarily relocated to flats in HUDA Sector 19 with the condition that permanent housing would be arranged for them soon. However, this has not happened yet, and these families are still struggling with basic amenities. No funds have been allocated for this purpose so far.

The concerned department's minister had clearly stated that there is no budget for this, and it will be considered when the budget is available. She urged the Centre that the displaced families be resettled as per the promise.