A parliamentary panel in its report has observed that the list of ASI-protected sites includes a large number of "minor monuments" and recommended that it should be "rationalised and categorised" on the basis of their national significance, unique architectural value and specific heritage content.
The 'Three Hundred Fifty Ninth Report on 'Functioning of Archaeological Survey of India' by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, was presented to the Rajya Sabha and laid on the table of the Lok Sabha on September 21. The committee has also observed that the provision of 100-metre prohibited area and 300-metre regulated area around all ASI-protected monuments and sites "generally invites public criticism and inconvenience", and added that they need to be reviewed and made realistic.
The panel has also noted that, till date, 531 monuments or 14.4 per cent of ASI's total 3,693 centrally-protected monuments have been encroached. However, encroachments from only nine monuments have been removed since 2015, the report said, adding that there is a lack of clarity in the guidelines for preservation and a delay in the classification of centrally-protected monuments.
"The committee recommends that the ASI should conduct a comprehensive survey of encroachments around all monuments under its jurisdiction and document the nature, extent and impact of encroachments on each site to create a database for informed decision-making in this regard," the report said. The panel advised that the ASI be divided into two wings Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the India Heritage Development Corporation (IHDC) to make it an effective organisation.
While the former can look after the core mandate of the ASI, i.e. exploration, excavation and conservation aspects, the latter can deal with the ASI's entire revenue, such as ticket collection, conducting auctions, issuing licences, running cafeterias, selling mementos and running sound and light systems, etc., it added. Highlighting problems with the list of centrally protected monuments, the report said there were a large number of minor monuments with no national significance.
It is estimated that this applies to at least a quarter of the current list of 3,691 monuments. The list, for instance, includes 75 graves of colonial-era soldiers or officials of no notable importance," it observed. For example, a small brick wall enclosure containing two colonial-era graves of public works department engineer John Albert Cope (died in 1880) and Henry Gassen (died 1877), an employee of a cotton ginning company, in Kumta, Karnataka is a centrally-protected monument, the report said.
"The structure had no architectural value, and the individuals were of no historical significance. Yet, they are supposed to get the same level of protection as the country's most cherished monuments," it said. The committee recommended that the "list of monuments with ASI should be rationalised and categorised on the basis of their national significance, unique architectural value and specific heritage content," the parliamentary panel report on the functioning of ASI said.
In the report, the committee has also noted that the implementation of the National Policy for Conservation, 2014 by the ASI has been "far from satisfactory". The committee recommended replacing "archaic and colonial-era related laws with modern techniques for protection and preservation. It also noted the glaring absence of national policies on archaeological exploration and antiquities preservation.
The Ministry of Culture and the ASI should conduct a "comprehensive comparative study of the excavation, conservation and restoration laws of foreign countries to fix the present policy with the best practices being followed globally, the report added. The Ministry of Culture has informed the Committee that the government is "working to bring an Amendment" of the rules so as to make it "relevant and contemporaneous," the report says.
The report said that the provision of restrictions around protected monuments need to be rationalised as per the significance of the site. Presently, the same rule applies equally to both significant and insignificant monuments, the report said.
For instance, the rules apply identically to the iconic Ajanta and Ellora monuments as much as to 'Kosminars', unknown cemeteries and tombs, etc. The panel recommended rationalisation of the list of national monuments by deleting some 'Kosminars' from the list.
The provision of restrictions around centrally-protected monuments was introduced in 2010 through an amendment in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958. It prohibits and regulates all activities like mining and construction around 100 metres and 300 metre, respectively, of all the protected monuments.
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