SAHIWAL: The Provincial Board of Revenue has given a formal approval to the local district collector to purchase more than 358-kanal land of the Harappa Museum.

The District Price Assessment Committee has sought permission for disbursing Rs196.07 million among the 340 private owners of the Harappa Museum “protected land” which is granted under letter No 643-214/316/S-II of April 22 last.

A local non-government organisation, Punjab Lok Sujag had been campaigning for the purchase of the 358-kanal land, which was protected under The Ancient Monument Act 1920 and The Antiquity Act 1975. After nine decades, the Department of Archaeology will become legal owner of the land having traces of 5,000-year-old Harappan civilisation.

Sabah Masood, the NGO advocacy officer, says acquisition of the land is quite a success.

Harappa Museum (27km south of Sahiwal on Old GT Road) is home to artifacts from ancient Indus Civilisation, which goes back to 5,000 years. The land consists of two portions – 132-acre state land and 358 kanal and six marla private land protected under the Ancient Monument Act 1920. Although the British declared it a protected land, technically speaking it was owned by private owners. Locals used it for their own purposes like agriculture.

After the partition, the land retained ‘protected’ status but no one bothered to get it from the private owners. Even during 1968 when the federal government introduced The Antiquity Act (which was amended in 1975), it was not purchased.

To secure the archaeological site spread over 358 kanal, the archaeology department in 1992 issued notification under Section 4 of Land Acquisition Act 1894, deciding to pay to the private owners who had claim over the land.

Around 100 people claimed ownership after which the archaeology and district revenue departments assessed the market price of the land in 1992, 1993 and 1995 but the private owners demanded much more than the rates offered by the revenue department.

In 2003, the price of the land was reassessed and the stakeholders agreed on Rs320,000 per marla. Subsequent appeals by some of the land owners to the DDO and EDO of revenue were rejected.

After the passage of 18th Amendment, the Harappa archaeological site is a provincial subject. In June 2012, the Punjab Lok Sujag launched an advocacy campaign to impel the Punjab government to provide funds for the purchase of the protected land.

The Lahore High Court, while taking suo motu notice, ordered reassessment of the land price by taking the stakeholders on board. In December 2013, the District Price Assessment Committee reassessed the land price and demanded Rs170 million for the purchase of the land. Under renewed assessment 340 private owners were identified as legal occupants of the 358-kanal museum land.

A total of Rs196.07 million will be disbursed among the 340 land owners.