A Parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture in its report on “Development and Conservations of Museums and Archaeological sites-Challenges and Opportunies” has recommended that private owners of listed historic buildings should be given certain compensations or incentives to encourage them in conservation and protection of the historical sites.
The Committee has asked the Ministry to set up a mechanism to collect feedback from domestic as well as foreign tourists visiting museums or archaeological sites.
“Private owners of listed historic buildings as well as people having residential property properties within prohibited/ regulated/ buffer areas should be provided with certain compensation/ incentives to encourage their participation in the conservation and protection of the historical sites,” the committee, headed by MP TG Venkatesh, said in its report, tabled in the Parliament on Monday. The Committee, therefore, recommended that wherever feasible, the Ministry may act on the suggestions made by INTACH in this regard.
“Technology may be utilized to permit the tourists to easily leave their feedback from domestic as well as foreign tourists who visit a Museum or archaeological site/monument regarding the experience they had in their visit to a Museum/ archaeological monument. Working on first hand feedback from the visitors will lead the Ministry into improving tourist experience in the future, while also leaving a positive imprint about Indian culture and heritage among those who visit,” it said.
The Committee found that the development and preservation of archaeological sites and Museums often does not run high in the priorities of State Governments. “This often leads to neglect, and thus irreparable damage is caused to the State protected archaeological monuments as well as Museum artefacts,” it said.
The Committee recommended that the Ministry should have a mechanism in place to identify instances of gross neglect of maintenance and preservation of important archaeological sites and Museums and prod the State Government Department concerned to take action to rectify the same.
In cases of exigent needs, ASI may proactively provide technical assistance to such monuments and Museums. The Committee suggested that the Ministry may, from time to time, consider the inclusion of the State protected archaeological monuments and Museums which are more than 100 years old, in the list of Centrally protected monuments and National Museums.
The Committee further recommended that the Ministry may lend assistance to State Governments to enable introduction of online ticketing to archaeological sites and Museums under their purview.