Monument of Love to get a facelift

The Taj Mahal would soon be given a facelift under an MoU to be signed by the Union Tourism and Culture ministry with an industry player for maintenance of world heritage monuments.

Besides the Taj Mahal, the Qutub Minar and Red Fort in Delhi had also been identified under the project, Union Tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee told reporters after the
inauguration of a seminar on the role of corporate sector in tourism here.

"The infrastructure of the country and the maintenance of world heritage monuments is of great concern to us and, therefore, an MoU would be signed with the Indian Association of Tour Operators soon," he said.

"Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Qutub-Minar, Red Fort and Agra Fort have been initially identified for maintenance," he said, adding the lease period for maintenance of these
monuments would be 33 or 66 years.

Though the Archaelogical Survey of India would manage the heritage monuments, private parties would maintain them. He also said a sum of Rs 512 crore had been allocated for upgradation of tourism infrastructure facilities across the country.

Responding to a query, Banerjee said if any private party expressed interest in maintenance of heritage structures in Tamil Nadu or in any other state, the Centre would give its nod. 

Earlier, Tamil Nadu chief secretary KS Sripathy said tourism industry in the state had not been affected by the global meltdown.

"Despite the meltdown the number of tourists visiting the state had gone up by 23.78 per cent in 2008 compared to the previous year," he said.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation commissioner M Rajaram welcomed the Centre's decision to allow private players in maintaining monuments. "In Tamil Nadu, we have the famous Mamallapuram and if a private player proposes to
maintain it, we would welcome it", he said.

In his address, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) chairman and managing director S Ramasundaram suggested that the state should have a 'heritage
train' connecting tourism destinations.