Indian Express 06.01.2010
Structures around protected monuments face demolition threat
Although they have been generously funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), structures built around ancient monuments after 2006 face the threat of demolition. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has withdrawn special permission for such structures with retrospective effect.
The ASI action follows disbanding of the Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) formed by the ASI Director-General in 2006. A Delhi High Court ruling in October questioned the legality of the committee, saying that the law governing ancient monuments did not provide for any such committee. In a cascading effect, the Superintending Archaeologist of ASI Vadodara Circle notified the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) that all earlier permits stood cancelled.
The committee was formed to advise the ASI to deal with cases where relaxations were considered for construction within 100 metres of protected monuments for necessary projects. In its 23rd meeting of August 18 and 19, 2009, the EAC, among others, took up cases of 12 proposals from ASI Vadodara Circle. It deferred decision on one, regularised two, rejected two and allowed the remaining seven to stand. The constructions regularised were Kankaria Lake Front Development Project in Ahmedabad and Vir Memorial near Rani Ki Vav at Patan.
In all, the ASI issued notices to 171 parties on December 15, 2009, including government officials and individuals, and asked them to respond within six weeks explaining their position and justification of their applications that were pending with the EAC. “The respondents will be given a personal hearing after the notice period is over, following which the view of the Director-General will prevail,” said A K Sinha, Director (monuments), ASI New Delhi.
Sinha said the ASI would approach the Law Ministry to find a way out of the situation that has emerged after the disbanding of the committee. He said the applications and proposals pending for consideration before the committee would be rendered void, and the applicants will have to come up with fresh proposals.
Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam admitted that not only the ongoing projects but also proposed constructions like Bhadra Fort plan and elevated corridor of BRTS could be impacted. He, however, said the AMC was drafting its reply to the ASI notice. “This is ASI’s countrywide process involving nearly 900 permissions granted by the EAC. We will follow the legal process…we have already made one presentation in Delhi on December 18 last,” he said, declining to comment any further.
