The Hindu : Guidelines on excavation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 12, 2003

National

National

Guidelines on excavation

By J.P. Shukla

FAIZABAD MARCH. 11. The Archaeological Survey of India has been asked to ensure complete transparency in the excavations planned at the disputed site in Ayodhya in accordance with the Allahabad High Court directive to seek evidence of any older temple at the place where the Babri Masjid was built by Babar.

In a communique to R.M. Srivastava, Divisional Commissioner of Faizabad and Receiver of the acquired land near the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site, the Officer on Special Duty appointed by the High Court, Narendra Prasad, today issued specific guidelines on the excavations. The ASI team has now been asked to start its excavation at 10 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. as announced earlier. The same would be the time to start digging later too.

Some of the litigants had urged a change in the timings of the commencement of excavations to 10 a.m. The marking of the area to be excavated would be done in the presence of all the litigants and whatever was found would be kept in sealed covers.

The ASI team has been asked to prepare a complete the list of equipment to be used during the digging and the same would have to be communicated to the High Court.

Those associated with the excavation work, including the ASI officials and the local administration, have been specifically directed not to reveal to the media any details of the excavation. As such, there would be no briefing to mediapersons from tomorrow, Mr. Srivastava said. It has already been announced that digging would take place within tents to be set up at the marked places and nothing would be visible from outside.

Meanwhile, Mr. Srivastava said that all preparations had been completed to begin the work tomorrow. A Joint Director of the ASI, R.S. Bisht, arrived here today to make an on-the-spot survey of the site. Besides other digging equipment, a crane would also be needed and for this the PWD engineers of the State Government had been asked to help, Mr. Srivastava said. So far the Administration has issued identity passes to 73 persons, including some of the litigants. Representatives of 20 litigants have so far sought permission to watch the excavation. Some were issued passes today.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National