UPA minister wants ASI to dig two more sites for treasure, airlift gold

Union minister Charan Das Mahant, at whose behest the Archaeological Survey of India conducted studies leading to the dig for relics or gold at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, has now asked the culture ministry to initiate excavation at two other sites. The additional two sites he has suggested are also based on information from local ascetic Shobhan Sarkar, whose dream of a 1,000 tonnes of gold buried under the fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Dhaundiya Khera led the minister to give directions for the first dig. [caption id=“attachment_119672” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The site of the first dig at Unnao. PTI[/caption] According to a report in The Indian Express, the minister wrote on October 18 to Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch about “two more treasures”. According to the report, he requested that a joint team including representatives of the finance ministry and the RBI as well be sent to survey the two other sites. Mahant also suggested that this team be sent with “full paramilitary security for airlifting the treasure by Air Force choppers immediately… preferably before 21st October, 2013”, according to the report. Incredibly, Mahant’s letter claims that Sarkar has offered to help with the digging and has even offered a Rs 1o-lakh bond to be forfeited if the treasure is not found. The two sites are in the Adampur gram panchayat area in Fatehgarh fort and in Kanpur Nagar.