Centre showing bias towards TN in archeological funding: CPI-M MP Su Venkatesan

Chennai, July 28 (IANS) Madurai's CPI-M MP Su Venkatesan on Monday alleged that Tamil Nadu has been systematically sidelined by the Union government in the allocation of funds for archaeological excavations over the past five years.

He pointed out that the state received only 9.8 per cent of the total funds disbursed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) since 2020, while Gujarat alone received a disproportionate 25 per cent.

Venkatesan cited data provided by the Union Ministry of Culture in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on July 24 by fellow CPI-M MP A.A. Rahim of Kerala.

According to the reply, Gujarat was allocated Rs 8.53 crore for archaeological excavations, of which a staggering 94 per cent was spent in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hometown, Vadnagar.

In comparison, Tamil Nadu received only Rs 3.36 crore during the same period.

Taking to social media platform X, Venkatesan criticised the regional imbalance in the Centre’s approach to heritage conservation and archaeological research.

"This is a clear case of favouritism," he wrote. "While Gujarat is showered with funds, Tamil Nadu — a region rich in ancient history — is left behind."

The annexure to the Culture Ministry’s reply listed multiple excavation sites in Gujarat, including Vadnagar, Vihar, Sarwal, and Lothal, which together received over Rs 700 lakh between 2020 and 2024. Notably, Vadnagar alone was allocated Rs 328.5 lakh in 2021 — the single largest allocation for any site in the country.

In contrast, Tamil Nadu’s historically significant sites such as Adichanallur, Kodumbalur, and Vadakapattu were granted relatively modest sums, despite their recognised archaeological importance, the MP said.

Venkatesan, who has long been advocating for increased support from the Centre for archaeological research in Tamil Nadu as the state’s contributions to Indian civilisation warrant much greater investment and attention from the Union government, also took a dig at the Prime Minister in light of recent political rhetoric praising him as a unifier of India’s civilisational legacy.

--IANS

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