Gujarat to replicate ?Heritage Mitra? scheme

GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government’s archaeology & museum department — which itself is in dire need of conservation — has planned to replicate the government of India’s new ‘Heritage Mitra’ scheme. Under the scheme, the department will hand over conservation and maintenance of monuments to private entities.

The Gujarat government has planned a new policy under which it will invite corporate houses, farming and milk-cooperative societies, and interested individuals to adopt heritage sites on the Gujarat list of archaeological monuments. The the scheme will not cover monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as they are outside the state’s remit.

There are around 362 monuments under the jurisdiction of the state archaeology department. But the department does not have the personnel or the resources to manage them. Since 2015, the department has not had the director. More than 70% of technical posts, such as conservationist, are vacant. Only 10 monuments have guards. A few years ago, the state government conceived a scheme to give token funds to village Panchayats for the upkeep of monuments. The scheme did not succeed.

The Government of India’s ‘Monument Mitra’ scheme entrusts heritagesites/ monuments and other tourist sites to private sector companies, public sector companies, and individuals for the development of amenities. Interested parties become ‘Monument Mitras’ and adopt the sites. The mitras will also look after the operations and the maintenance of the amenities.

For the first phase, the Government of India has identified 93 ASI-ticketed monuments; other natural and cultural sites across India will be added to the list in time. The heritage sites are classified into various categories. The ‘Monument Mitras’ will take up sites of varied visibility and footfalls as a package. The ‘Monument Mitras’ have the chance to highlight the prestige of the scheme in their CSR achievements. They will also get visibility on monument premises and on the Incredible India website.

As for Gujarat, V P Patel, the secretary of the state’s sports & cultural department under which the directorate of archaeology operates, said: “The state government is also planning to replicate the Centre’s ‘Adopt a Heritage Site’ scheme as the Centre’s scheme is for ASIprotected monuments only.” He said that at present the government gives grants to village panchayats or local bodies to manage heritage sites. He said only some sites have benefited from the initiative. “Under the ‘Heritage Mitra’ scheme, we can invite companies, major cooperative societies, and other groups to conserve these monuments,” he said. “This can be a win-win situation for the companies looking for CSR engagement. The companies get publicity while the government, without spending anything, can conserve heritage sites.”