The Hindu : Spare the monuments, says Jagmohan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 17, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Spare the monuments, says Jagmohan

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 16. Concerned over the defacement of historical monuments and its surrounding areas in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, the Union Tourism and Culture Minister, Jagmohan, has written to all the Chief Ministers, including the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, to take steps to ensure that all such monuments were not subject to vandalism.

Bringing to their notice the fact that provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act were being openly violated despite requests by senior ASI officials, Mr. Jagmohan said: "The infringement is particularly acute with regard to advertisements and poster-panels, billboards, stalls and the so-called tehbazari structures."

These structures not only stab the skyline, but also make the landscape ugly and undermine the environment of the historic monuments, thereby creating an "unfavourable impression" about the country's civic life and cultural values.

Mr. Jagmohan urged the Chief Ministers to take steps to remove such structures, but ensure that posters, banners and hoardings were not allowed to come up near the monuments. Arguing that this would increase the flow of tourists to these monuments -- both foreign and domestic - Mr. Jagmohan said a neat and clean surrounding around the monument would create a favourable image about the country's civic and cultural life.

In his letter, he also pointed out that as per prevailing law no structure, howsoever small or temporary, could be put up within the prohibited area of 100 metres of the protected monument.

He has also directed the ASI officials to ensure that there was no defacement of public property and the area around important monuments in the Capital and other parts of the country.

"If needed, strong action should be taken against those responsible for it,'' Mr. Jagmohan said.

Meanwhile, despite strict directions issue by the Election Commission, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is yet to launch an effective drive against removal of poll related posters, banners, hoardings and writings on city walls.

While the drive is yet to be launched in a majority of the 12 Zones, sources in the MCD said so far only 16 hoardings have been removed in West Zone, 15 in Sadar Paharganj zone, one in Shahdara (North) and 45 in Rohini.

In Shahdara (South), as many as 825 posters and 72 banners have been removed and eight wall paintings have been whitewashed. Officials of Central and South Zone said they were arranging truck and requisite manpower to remove posters and banners.

The MCD is yet to lodge First Information Report against those responsible for defacement of public property.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi