8 archaeological sites in Osmanabad to be part of Maharashtra revenue land records
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Move comes after local politician encroached on a historical pool.
Eight protected archaeological sites at Ter in Maharashtra’s Osmanabad district have become part of the State’s revenue land records in a bid to preserve and conserve them.
The move, which is a first in the State, comes after the incident in the same district where a yet another historical Mankavati kunda (pool) near the temple of godess Tuljabhavani was encroached by a local politician who made fake land documents by which he claimed the ownership of it.
“I have given orders to file criminal case against the person. We cannot let individuals use historical monuments for personal profits. Directions have been given to make appropriate changes in land records as well,” said Kaustubh Divegaonkar, Collector, Osmanabad.
He said that the incident was also the trigger behind the move to safeguard eight archaeological sites at Ter by including them in revenue land records. “At some places excavations have been done on private land as well. A decade ago, there has been an incident where a farmer destroyed remains of a temple found under his land fearing that the land will be taken over by the government. Inclusion in land record as protected site would mean that nobody can destroy or claim ownership on excavated land for personal profits,” he added.
Mr. Divegaonkar said that he is also moving the proposal whereby all such sites will be deemed Class II lands. Which means any transfer of such lands would require the Collector’s nod.
Ter, a village on the banks of Terna river was a trade center for centuries, going as far back as third century B.C. when it was called as Tagar. Its glory peaked during the Satvahanas and it was even on ancient India’s trade route to Rome.
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