While the Opposition parties attacked Modi government and questioned how a private entity was given the mandate to maintain the iconic Red Fort, there are dozens of heritage sites which are up for adoption, including in Leh Ladakh, Mumbai and Srinagar among others.
On Friday, a corporate house signed an agreement with the tourism ministry under its 'Adopt a Heritage' project.
As of March this year, 31 prospective 'monument mitras' (friends of heritage sites) have been shortlisted by a oversight and vision committee for developing tourist-friendly amenities at 95 monuments, heritage and other tourist sites including the Red Fort, Qutub Minar (in Delhi), Hampi (Karnataka), Sun Temple (Odisha), Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra), Char Minar (Telangana) and Kaziranga National Park (Assam).
What is Adopt a Heritage' project?
The project plans to entrust heritage sites/monuments and other tourist sites to private sector companies, public sector companies and individuals for the development of tourist amenities. They would become 'Monument Mitras' and adopt the sites. The basic and advanced amenities of the tourist destinations would be provided by them. They would also look after the operations and the maintenance of the amenities.
► Indicative List of important monuments open for adoption in 2018 - To read
► List of sites opted under - Phase I, Phase II, Phase III
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What has Dalmia Bharat group agreed to?
The Dalmia Bharat group, under the memorandum of understanding, would maintain the monument and build basic infrastructure around it and has committed a sum of Rs 25 crore for the purpose over a period spanning five years.
The Dalmia Bharat group has agreed to provide certain basic amenities at the 17th century monument within six months. These include providing drinking water kiosks, street furniture-like benches and signages to guide the visitors, according to the ministry.
The entity has also agreed to put up within a year tactile maps, upgrade toilets, light up the pathways and bollards, carry out restoration work and landscaping and build a 1,000-square-foot visitor facility centre.
What is Congress saying?
"They are handing over the iconic monument to a private business. What is your commitment to the idea of India, to the history of India? We know you have no commitment, but we still want to ask you."
"Do you have a dearth of funds. Why funds for the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) lapse, why do they lapse. See the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) reports. If they have paucity of funds, then why do they lapse?" asked Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera.
Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons says:
Under the scheme started last year, the ministry is looking at public participation to develop heritage monuments.
"The companies involved in these projects will only spend and not make money. They will create amenities such as toilets, provide drinking water for the tourists so that their footfalls increase. They might put up signs outside to say that they have developed the amenities. If they are spending money, there is nothing wrong in taking credit for it," he said.
Indicative List by DNAINDIA on Scribd
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