Funds insufficient even for basic maintenance works
Requests for increase in allocation fall on deaf ears
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 2: Unbelievable it may sound but it is a fact that on an average an amount of only Rs 3.40 lakh is earmarked annually for the conservation of each of the 124 State and Centrally protected monuments in the heritage rich Jammu and Kashmir, which otherwise is not sufficient even to remove bushes in and around these sites periodically.
Due to meagre annual budget, the Archaeology Department of the State Government and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are finding it difficult to lay focus on these heritage sites simultaneously thereby leading to their continuous plunder.
Of the total 124 protected monuments in all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, 55 fall in the domain of Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums of the State Government and 69 are under the control of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), a wing of the Union Ministry of Culture.
Fifty five monuments were declared State protected during the period between 1986 and 2013 while as 69 sites were declared Centrally Protected monuments during the past some decades keeping in view the inability of the State Government to properly look after all the heritage sites in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
However, the State as well as Central Governments became complacent by according protected monument status to these 124 sites as till date sufficient funds were never earmarked for their conservation that too in a time bound manner.
This can be gauged from the official figures, which reveal that only an amount of Rs 2.69 crore was kept at the disposal of Archaeological Survey of India by the Union Culture Ministry for the conservation of 69 Centrally protected monuments in J&K during 2017-18 financial year.
“Though this amount was slightly higher than the money earmarked during 2016-17 financial year yet the hike was not sufficient to lay complete focus on even few Centrally protected monuments”, sources said while disclosing that during 2016-17 only an amount of Rs 1.39 crore was kept for the conservation of these 69 monuments.
For 55 State protected monuments, an amount of only Rs 1.55 crore has been kept at the disposal of Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums by the State Finance Department during the current financial year, sources disclosed. Of this, an amount of Rs 14 lakh has been earmarked for minor repairs and left of the amount for new works.
All this reveals that on an average an amount of merely Rs 3.40 lakh is earmarked for the conservation of State and Centrally protected monuments per annum, which otherwise is not sufficient even to remove bushes and keep the surroundings of these sites neat and clean, sources regretted, adding “due to meagre funds the objective behind declaration of 124 monuments as protected ones could not be achieved till date”.
The intensity of difficulties being faced by the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums in executing the mandated task can be gauged from the fact that no conservation work could be started on those heritage sites which were declared as State protected monuments in the year 2012-13, sources disclosed.
Quoting some examples, they said that Chamba Statue at Sanku and Rock Sculpture of Matria Budha at Apati both in Kargil district were declared as State protected monuments vide SRO-261 dated March 16, 2012 and SRO-44 dated February 6, 2013 respectively as per the provisions of J&K Ancient Monuments Preservation Act but till date no restoration/conservation work could be started by the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums for want of funds
They further said, “it is due to lack of funds that Archaeology Directorate has not initiated steps for declaration of several more heritage sites as State protected monuments despite the fact that their identification and documentation was conducted in the year 2010 for their inclusion in the list of State Protected monuments”, sources further informed.
When contacted, an officer of the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums of the State said, “whatever funds are kept at our disposal are not sufficient even to completely look after one monument like Bhim Garh Fort, Samba Fort and Jasrota Fort”, adding “a number of times request was made to the Finance Department for placing sufficient funds for conservation of at least already declared State protected monuments but our request was never taken seriously”.
“The non-serious approach of the State and Union Governments is notwithstanding the fact that effective conservation of heritage sites helps in making them points of attraction for the tourists and subsequent generation of revenue”, sources said.
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