Indian Express 22.09.2009
13 years on, AMC looks for change in heritage cell
In 1996, Ahmedabad had become the first city in the country to set up a heritage cell for the conservation of urban architectural heritage when it appointed Foundation for Conservation and Research of Urban Traditional Architecture (CRUTA Foundation). Thirteen years down the line, there are chances that CRUTA would not retain its hold over the job.
The Kolkata-based body’s representative Debashish Nayak had since become synonymous with the AMC heritage cell. So when a proposal came to the AMC standing committee to extend the Foundation’s term for another three years, it looked a mere formality until the committee members put their foot down on the municipal commissioner’s proposal. The committee now wants to break the monotony and monopoly of CRUTA on the ground that it is high time an element of freshness is brought in the long drawn conservation exercise.
“Not that there are any complaints against the existing party but the committee felt that other organisations doing similar work should also be given a chance,” said committee chairman Asit Vora.
Accordingly, instead of granting a three-year extension till 2012, the committee gave the Foundation a limited period extension of three months. In the meanwhile, advertisements will be released for other agencies engaged in similar work, Vora said, adding that they would continue with CRUTA if no other party comes forward.
Senior AMC councillor Liyaqat Ghori said it was surprising how the AMC could go on repeating the same agency for such a long time. “This only brought down morale of the second rung staff working in the Cell. The Cell has so far paid attention only to select pockets for conservation purpose and for highlighting the historic significance of the urban architectural marvels,” Ghori said.
He would not agree with the suggestion that conservation being special, alternative agencies would be hard to come by.
Some of the initiatives made by the CRUTA Foundation
include City Heritage Walk, soft loan scheme for funding conservation of old houses of heritage importance, restoration of havelis and installation of statues of important persons like Dalpat Ram.
