A Parliamentary panel has reprimanded the Union Culture Ministry for sending ‘casually’ prepared dossiers to the UNESCO for including heritage sites in the list of world heritage sites which were returned back for further corrections.
“This has happened several times in respect of our different sites…it appears we do not do our homework seriously and send dossiers to UNEESCO casually. It is a serious matter that ourdossiers have been returned several times,” the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture on Friday suggesting formation of the ‘dossiers panel’ to do the job efficiently.
In its report tabled in lok Sabha, the panel headed by Rajya Sabha MP Kanwar Deep Singh also expressed concern over losing hundreds of monuments to encroachers in the national capital and feared that areas adjoining Qutub Minar may also face the same fate. “Nobody knows the exact number of monuments under the DDA and State Archaeological Department and how many are unprotected as some are on private own lands.
“This gives a very bleak picture about the whole thing. The Committee would like to have monument-wise position in respect of their protection either with ASI, DDA, state governments or unprotected,” the report said.
On protection of lal Mahal, the committee felt that concerned authorities failed to act in time due to “reasons better known to them” and area around lal Mahal was allowed to be encroached in such as manner that it has become next impossible to even take that under ASI protection.
“It would entail massive demolition of houses and buildings built illegally there. The Committee would like to know the stand of the Delhi government in this regard,” the report said.