UP archaeological department considers taking over Manhar Kheda Fort in Shamli

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Dec 29 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Archaeological Department is reviewing a proposal to take over the historic Manhar Kheda Fort in Shamli district's Jalalabad on the recommendations of its advisory committee, officials said on Sunday.

"The department had sought revenue documents from district authorities to proceed with the proposal. The relevant documents have been forwarded to the Archaeological Department," Shamli Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Hamid Husain told PTI.

"The Director of Uttar Pradesh Archaeological Department, Renu Dwivedi, recently sent a letter to the Shamli district administration requesting revenue documents related to the fort as part of the proposal to designate it as a national heritage site," he said.

The fort, currently inhabited by several families, also houses the residence of Rashtriya Lok Dal's Thana Bhawan constituency MLA Ashraf Ali Khan.

Demands for the fort to be declared a national heritage site were spearheaded by activists from the Vishva Hindu Parishad, led by the district president Pradeep Singh Pundir.

The activists had also submitted a memorandum to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urging him to preserve the fort as a cultural and historical landmark.

Later, the UP Archaeological Advisory Committee surveyed the fort.

The department is now considering the fort's takeover, pending the submission and evaluation of revenue and ownership documents. PTI