Haryana to Revive Saraswati River and Rakhigarhi Civilization with New Public Trust

Chandigarh, Match 17, 2025: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced that the Saraswati River and the Rakhigarhi civilization are significant parts of the state’s rich cultural and historical heritage. To revive and preserve them, a public trust named “Haryana Sapta Sindhu Saraswati Sahitya, Kala, and Sanskriti” will be established. A provision of ₹25 crore has been made for this initiative in the financial year 2025-26. The Chief Minister made these announcements while presenting the state budget for 2025-26 as the Finance Minister during the Haryana Assembly’s budget session. An allocation of ₹262.31 crore has been made for the Information, Public Relations, Language, and Culture Department for the year 2025-26.

The Chief Minister stated that the construction of the “Martyrs’ Memorial of the First War of Independence” on the national highway in Ambala, which is being built at a cost of ₹538 crore, will be completed and inaugurated in the financial year 2025-26. He mentioned that under the Chief Minister’s Pilgrimage Scheme, elderly individuals from low-income families have already been facilitated to visit the Ayodhya pilgrimage site and take a holy dip at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. In the financial year 2025-26, this scheme will be expanded to include pilgrimages to Mata Vaishno Devi and Shirdi Sai Temple.

Saini also announced that a separate trust will be established for the management and administration of the Guru Ravidas Memorial in Pepli. To promote public participation and ensure proper oversight, an initial fund of ₹5 crore will be allocated to this trust. He added that ₹10 crore has been allocated to the Lohgarh Trust for the construction and management of a memorial dedicated to Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, who fought against the Mughal oppression and established the Khalsa Raj.

The Chief Minister further announced that in the financial year 2025-26, journalists will be provided with cashless medical treatment facilities similar to those available to government employees. Additionally, ₹100 crore has been allocated for organizing public participation events during festivals, fairs, and celebrations across the state.

Saini stated that a Sikh museum will be built in Pepli to educate future generations about Sikhism’s glorious history and its contribution to humanity and the nation. The construction of this museum will be undertaken by HSVP and is expected to begin soon.