Lok Sabha Question No. 339 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Status of Archaeological Exploration Proposals
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Daggumalla Prasada Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. * 339.

ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## STATUS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION PROPOSALS

## *339.  SHRI DAGGUMALLA PRASADA RAO:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the list of new archaeological exploration proposals received during the last two years along with the current status thereof, year and State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details of the total funds allocated, released and utilised for archaeological explorations, excavations and maintenance of sites under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) during the last five years, year and State/UT-wise;
- (c) the details of the list of archaeological sites under ASI in Andhra Pradesh;
- (d) the details of the funds sanctioned and utilised for the adoption of advanced technological tools  like  Light  Detection  and  Ranging  (LiDAR)  and  ground  penetrating  radar,  etc.,  by regional ASI centres during the last five years, year and State/UT-wise; and
- (e) whether the Government has organised any training sessions for regional ASI staff for using the  said  technologies  during  the  last  two  years,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the number of persons trained?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *339 FOR 16.03.2026. RAISED BY SHRI DAGGUMALLA PRASADA RAO: HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING STATUS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION PROPOSALS

- (a) The  year  wise  and  the  state  wise  details  of  the  proposals  received  for  archaeological exploration during the last two years are given at Annexure-I.
- (b) The details of the funds allocated and utilized by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for archaeological explorations and excavations are given at Annexure- II and the maintenance of protected monuments and protected areas during last five years are given at AnnexureIII.
- (c) The list of archaeological sites under ASI in Andhra Pradesh is given at Annexure-IV.
- (d) Advanced  technological  tools  are  being  used  for  the  exploration  and  excavation  of archaeological  sites  and  expenditure  for  the  same  is  made  under  funds  allocated  for exploration and excavation. Such studies have been carried out at some archaeological sites like Rajgir (Bihar), Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Bhismaknagar (Arunachal Pradesh) and Warangal Fort (Telangana), as per requirement.
- (e) Such training programs are organised by the institutions having expertise in these area.  ASI has deputed 14 officials from Southern Region to attend workshop on Integrating Digital Documentation for Cultural Studies in 2025.

## ANNEXURE-l

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *339 FOR 16.03.2026.

THE  YEARWISE  AND  THE  STATEWISE DETAILS OF THE  PROPOSALS RECEIVED FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS

| Name of the States   | 2024     | 2024         | 2025     | 2025         |
|----------------------|----------|--------------|----------|--------------|
|                      | Approved | Not-Approved | Approved | Not-Approved |
| Andhra Pradesh       | -        | -            | 1        | -            |
| Arunachal Pradesh    | -        | -            | 1        | -            |
| Assam                | 1        | -            | -        | -            |
| Gujarat              | 1        | -            | 2        | -            |
| Himachal Pradesh     | -        | 1            | 2        | -            |
| Jharkhand            | 1        | -            | 1        | -            |
| Kerala               | 2        | -            | -        | -            |
| Ladakh (U.T.)        | -        | 1            | 1        | -            |
| Madhya Pradesh       | -        | 1            | 2        | -            |
| Maharashtra          | 2        | -            | 2        | -            |
| Tamil Nadu           | 1        | -            | 2        | 1            |
| Sikkim               | -        | -            | 1        | -            |
| West Bengal          | -        | -            | 1        | -            |
| Uttar Pradesh        | 1        | 1            | 1        | -            |
| Uttarakhand          | -        | -            | 2        | -            |
| Total                | 09       | 04           | 19       | 01           |

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *339 FOR 16.03.2026.

THE DETAILS OF THE FUNDS ALLOCATED AND UTILIZED BY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (ASI) FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS

(In lakhs)

| State/ UT                            | 2020-21   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   | 2024-25   |
|--------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| State/ UT                            | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      |
| Andhra Pradesh                       | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 5.00      | 3.70      | 2.00      | 1.99      |
| Arunachal Pradesh/ Assam/ Meghalaya/ | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 16.78     | 16.78     | 18.00     | 17.90     | 4.00      | 3.99      |
| Bihar                                | 14.50     | 14.50     | 32.00     | 32.00     | 40.00     | 40.00     | 145.0 0   | 145.0 0   | 59.95     | 59.95     |
| Chhattisgarh                         | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 1.00      | 1.00      | 1.00      | 0.30      | 0.60      | 0.60      |
| Delhi                                | 1.29      | 1.27      | 2.42      | 2.22      | 62.85     | 59.51     | 48.00     | 28.71     | 78.50     | 76.66     |
| Goa                                  | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.50      | 0.50      | 3.50      | 3.50      | 14.62     | 14.62     | 0.15      | 0.15      |
| Gujarat                              | 117.0 1   | 117.0 0   | 328.5 2   | 328.5 0   | 174.9 5   | 174.9 5   | 111.0 0   | 110.9 9   | 123.00    | 123.00    |
| Himachal Pradesh                     | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 1.00      | 1.00      | 0.50      | 0.49      | 0.07      | 0.07      |
| Jharkhand                            | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 6.20      | 6.15      | 46.50     | 46.37     | 9.83      | 9.82      |
| Jammu& Kashmir                       | 1.50      | 1.50      | 5.00      | 5.00      | 3.00      | 3.00      | 2.00      | 2.00      | 52.00     | 52.00     |
| Karnataka                            | 25.50     | 25.50     | 19.83     | 19.83     | 152.4 2   | 152.3 8   | 34.00     | 33.56     | 81.27     | 81.12     |
| Kerala                               | 1.00      | 0.99      | 0.50      | 0.50      | 4.00      | 4.00      | 5.00      | 3.70      | 2.00      | 1.96      |
| Ladakh                               | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.80      | 0.80      | 4.11      | 4.11      | 0.00      | 0.00      |
| Madhya Pradesh                       | 20.50     | 20.47     | 17.36     | 17.36     | 26.50     | 26.50     | 42.50     | 41.19     | 118.00    | 118.00    |
| Maharashtra                          | 40.50     | 39.58     | 46.90     | 46.43     | 82.97     | 78.82     | 96.50     | 95.99     | 86.36     | 78.87     |
| Manipur/ Mizoram/ Tripura            | 1.00      | 0.93      | 0.80      | 0.80      | 8.00      | 8.00      | 0.15      | 0.15      | 0.00      | 0.00      |
| Odisha                               | 6.00      | 6.00      | 11.80     | 11.80     | 40.00     | 39.72     | 70.00     | 70.00     | 131.50    | 131.50    |
| Panjab/ Haryana                      | 10.00     | 10.00     | 6.47      | 6.47      | 1.00      | 1.00      | 25.00     | 25.00     | 63.00     | 63.00     |
| Rajasthan                            | 1.00      | 1.00      | 1.50      | 1.50      | 27.38     | 27.38     | 8.00      | 8.00      | 165.96    | 165.96    |
| Tamil Nadu                           | 3.50      | 3.49      | 49.50     | 49.47     | 114.0 0   | 114.0 0   | 137.6 7   | 137.6 7   | 130.50    | 130.34    |
| Telangana                            | 0.00      | 0.00      | 1.00      | 1.00      | 39.00     | 39.00     | 1.00      | 1.00      | 3.06      | 3.06      |

| Uttarakhand         | 0.00    | 0.00       | 1.00    | 1.00    | 1.00     | 1.00    | 2.00     | 2.00     | 1.70     | 1.70     |
|---------------------|---------|------------|---------|---------|----------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Uttar Pradesh       | 6.50    | 6.08 78.00 |         | 77.76   | 168.5 0  | 167.9 0 | 235.4 3  | 235.2 2  | 138.65   | 138.58   |
| West Bengal/ Sikkim | 0.00    | 0.00       | 2.80    | 2.80    | 18.00    | 18.00   | 3.12     | 2.84     | 9.96     | 9.96     |
| Total               | 250.0 0 | 248.3 0    | 609.0 0 | 607.9 6 | 1000. 00 | 994.0 9 | 1130. 00 | 1122. 74 | 1262.0 0 | 1251.2 4 |

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *339 FOR 16.03.2026.

THE DETAILS OF THE FUNDS ALLOCATED AND UTILIZED BY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF  INDIA  (ASI)  FOR  THE  MAINTENANCE  OF  PROTECTED  MONUMENTS AND PROTECTED AREAS

(Amount Rs. in Crore)

| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT                              | 2020-21   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   | 2024-25   |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT                              | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      | Allot.    | Exp.      |
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh                                | 4.57      | 4.57      | 5.75      | 5.75      | 11.60     | 11.60     | 14.70     | 14.70     | 12.90     | 12.90     |
| 2.        | Assam/ Meghalaya/ Nagaland/ Arunachal Pradesh | 3.04      | 3.04      | 3.30      | 3.30      | 7.44      | 7.44      | 8.78      | 8.78      | 5.72      | 5.71      |
| 3.        | Bihar                                         | 1.23      | 1.23      | 3.35      | 3.35      | 9.00      | 9.00      | 16.00     | 16.00     | 8.73      | 8.73      |
| 4.        | Chhattisgarh                                  | 2.89      | 2.89      | 4.78      | 4.78      | 7.50      | 7.50      | 5.94      | 5.94      | 8.19      | 8.19      |
| 5.        | Delhi (NCT)                                   | 24.51     | 24.5 1    | 19.1 0    | 19.0 8    | 30.50     | 30.35     | 36.14     | 36.14     | 24.95     | 24.94     |
| 6.        | Goa                                           | 3.70      | 3.70      | 7.00      | 7.00      | 10.45     | 10.45     | 9.90      | 9.90      | 9.00      | 9.00      |
| 7.        | Gujarat/ Daman& Diu (UT)                      | 7.34      | 7.34      | 10.5 0    | 10.5 0    | 14.09     | 14.09     | 14.50     | 14.50     | 10.70     | 10.69     |
| 8.        | Himachal Pradesh                              | 1.25      | 1.25      | 1.15      | 1.15      | 8.90      | 8.90      | 5.00      | 5.00      | 2.80      | 2.79      |
| 9.        | Jharkhand                                     | 0.88      | 0.88      | 1.18      | 1.16      | 2.00      | 2.00      | 2.15      | 2.15      | 2.25      | 2.25      |
| 10.       | Jammu& Kashmir (U.T)                          | 0.80      | 0.80      | 2.55      | 2.55      | 6.11      | 6.03      | 7.17      | 7.17      | 4.90      | 4.89      |
| 11.       | Karnataka                                     | 20.77     | 20.7 7    | 25.0 7    | 25.0 7    | 39.93     | 39.93     | 39.16     | 39.16     | 22.53     | 22.53     |
| 12.       | Kerala                                        | 2.03      | 2.03      | 6.82      | 6.82      | 7.50      | 7.50      | 7.09      | 7.09      | 6.30      | 6.30      |
| 13.       | Ladakh (UT)                                   | 0.20      | 0.20      | 0.43      | 0.43      | 1.92      | 1.92      | 3.50      | 3.50      | 2.20      | 2.20      |

| 14.   | Maharashtra                                    | 18.16   | 18.1 6   | 24.5 0   | 24.4 9   | 39.05   | 39.04   | 52.54   | 52.54   | 37.39   | 37.39   |
|-------|------------------------------------------------|---------|----------|----------|----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| 15.   | Madhya Pradesh                                 | 15.00   | 15.0 0   | 16.2 5   | 16.2 5   | 22.90   | 22.90   | 26.49   | 26.49   | 19.30   | 19.29   |
| 16.   | Manipur/ Mizoram/ Tripura                      | 1.31    | 1.31     | 1.25     | 1.25     | 2.00    | 2.00    | 1.29    | 1.29    | 1.26    | 1.25    |
| 17.   | Odisha                                         | 3.63    | 3.63     | 8.23     | 8.23     | 13.18   | 13.17   | 12.29   | 12.29   | 11.50   | 11.37   |
| 18.   | Punjab/ Haryana                                | 0.80    | 0.80     | 1.50     | 1.50     | 6.53    | 6.53    | 11.00   | 11.00   | 8.40    | 8.40    |
| 19.   | Rajasthan                                      | 11.50   | 11.5 0   | 12.0 3   | 12.0 3   | 17.93   | 17.93   | 23.40   | 23.40   | 20.16   | 20.15   |
| 20.   | Tamil Nadu/Puduc herry                         | 7.25    | 7.25     | 12.0 0   | 12.0 0   | 19.95   | 19.95   | 22.50   | 22.50   | 18.95   | 18.94   |
| 21.   | Telangana                                      | 2.80    | 2.80     | 7.00     | 6.80     | 15.50   | 15.50   | 14.38   | 14.38   | 6.80    | 6.77    |
| 22.   | Uttarakhand                                    | 4.60    | 4.60     | 3.75     | 3.75     | 4.85    | 4.85    | 5.42    | 5.42    | 5.10    | 5.10    |
| 23.   | Uttar Pradesh                                  | 22.26   | 22.2 2   | 42.2 4   | 42.2 4   | 63.65   | 63.53   | 65.54   | 65.54   | 45.23   | 45.17   |
| 24.   | West Bengal/Sikki m                            | 7.38    | 7.37     | 12.6 7   | 12.5 7   | 17.16   | 17.16   | 17.10   | 17.10   | 12.11   | 12.11   |
| 25.   | Chemical conservation                          | 3.82    | 3.81     | 6.51     | 6.48     | 9.91    | 9.89    | 8.36    | 8.36    | 3.88    | 3.74    |
| 26.   | (all India) Horticultural activity (all India) | 44.75   | 44.7 5   | 19.3 3   | 19.3 2   | --      | --      | --      | --      | --      | --      |
| 27.   | DG office                                      | 44.42   | 44.4 2   | 11.7 4   | 11.7 3   | 3.15    | 2.77    | 13.19   | 13.19   | 2.17    | 2.15    |
| 28.   | Reserve                                        | -       | -        | 0.02     | 0.00     | --      | --      | --      | --      | --      | --      |
|       | Total                                          | 260.9 0 | 260. 83  | 270. 00  | 269. 57  | 392.7 1 | 391.93  | 443.5 3 | 443.5 3 | 313.4 3 | 313.0 4 |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *339 FOR 16.03.2026.

## THE DETAILS OF THE LIST OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES UNDER ASI IN ANDHRA PRADESH

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Site                                                                                                                                                        |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Ancient Mound in part of S. No. 855 A, Ramatirtham (Hamlet of Varini), Nellore (Present- Ramatirtham, SPSR. Nellore)                                                    |
|         2 | Ancient Buddhist Site, Kalingapatnam, Srikakulam (Present- Kalingapatnam, Srikakulam)                                                                                   |
|         3 | Ancient site and remains comprised in survey plot No. 37, Munagacherla, Krishna (Present- Munagacherla, NTR)                                                            |
|         4 | Ancient Mound, Pedganjam, Guntur (Present-Peddaganjam, Bapatla)                                                                                                         |
|         5 | Mound known as 'Bodipati Dibba', Ramatirtham (Hamlet of Varini), Nellore (Present- Ramatirtham, SPSR. Nellore)                                                          |
|         6 | Mounds containing Buddhist remains such as stupas, Adurru, East Godavari (Present- Adurru, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema)                                                |
|         7 | Mounds locally known as Bhimalingadibba, Denduluru, Kistna (Present- Denduluru, Eluru)                                                                                  |
|         8 | The caves and structural stupa of Archaeological interest on Dharmalingesvar swami hill, Jilakarragudem (Hamlet of Guntupalli), Ellore (Present- Jilakarragudem, Eluru) |
|         9 | The mounds of Pedavegi: Dibba No.1 Dibba No.2, Dibba No. 3, Dibba No. 4, Dibba No. 5, Pedavegi, Kistna (Present- Pedavegi, Eluru)                                       |
|        10 | Ancient Site, Pusalapadu, Prakasam                                                                                                                                      |

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