GUWAHATI: The Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) has allayed apprehensions of the Centre’s move to hand over heritage sites in Assam to the private sector, claiming that the information appearing in a section of media in this regard is factually incorrect.
“On the contrary, the fact is that the Centre had a few years back invited expressions of interest from PSU and private firms under the ‘Adopt A Heritage’ scheme for utilising their CSR funds on public amenities in the periphery areas of heritage sites/monuments in the country and thereafter maintaining them for five years,” ATDC chairman, Jayanta Malla Baruah told reporters here on Wednesday.
The project would begin with 93 ASI ticketed monuments and implemented in four phases. So far, 56 monuments have been listed in three phases.
The Kaziranga National Park and three heritage sites in Sivasagar, including the 18th century amphitheatre, Rang-ghar, have been listed under Phase III of the scheme, which aims to make heritage sites tourist friendly to enhance their tourism potential and cultural importance.
The PSU/private firm or an individual wishing to adopt a heritage site under the scheme would become “Monument Mitras” who would be responsible only for operating and maintaining basic and advanced amenities in a limited area beyond the core area.
The city-based JTI Group has been named as the Monument Mitra for the Kaziranga National Park and the Sivasagar monuments, according to a Central government notification.
“The basic amenities would include cleanliness, public conveniences, clean drinking water and ease of access for tourists, signage, etc while the advance amenities among others comprise cafeterias, surveillance system, tourist facilitation centre, illumination in a limited space outside the core area,” Baruah said.
Baruah clarified that under no circumstances will the core area of a historic site, which is the domain of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), be allowed to be touched for any activity under the scheme.
“The aspect to note here is that the PSU/private firm will not just utilize their CSR funds on creating the public amenities but will have to maintain them for five years. This is not a revenue model but an endeavour by the tourism ministry in collaboration with the culture ministry and ASI to promote responsible tourism,” he said.
Elaborating on Kaziranga National Park, the ATDC chairman said that the core area of the park is under the forest department and hence there cannot be any such activity there.
The reports of the Centre’s bid to “hand over” the monuments in Assam to PSUs and private companies have evoked perceptible concern among sections in the state.
“So we would like to allay any such apprehension which may be triggered by media reports as there is considerable public sentiment associated with these monuments,” Baruah said.
Some of the important monuments sought to be entrusted to private/public sector firms under the scheme include the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Ajanta cave, Sun Temple at Konark, Red, Khajuraho Temple, Char Minar and Leh Palace.