What is the issue?
- The Red Fort has been leased out to the Dalmia Bharat Group recently.
- This has lead to widespread criticism due to concerns in heritage conservation.
What is the Tourism Ministry's scheme?
- The tourism ministry last year launched the 'Adopt a Heritage' scheme.
- Objective - This was an attempt to increase public-private partnership in conservation and maintenance of heritage sites.
- It invited private and public sector companies to become 'Monument Mitras'.
- Services - The 'friends of monuments' will adopt heritage sites.
- The CSR arms of the Monument Mitras will fund the maintenance and upkeep work.
- They will develop basic and advanced amenities at the monuments.
- Privileges - The Monument Mitras will be given "visibility" on the monument premises.
- They will as well get visibility in the tourism ministry's Incredible India website.
- Selection - Monument Mitras have been selected through “Vision Bidding”.
- It is the process where agency with the best vision for the heritage site gets selected.
What are the checks in place?
- The five-year contract can be terminated if the company does not comply with the ASI guidelines.
- The legal status of the monument will not change after adoption.
- The company will not collect any money from the public unless allowed by the government.
- Also, profits, if any, will be used to maintain and upgrade tourism facilities.
- An Oversight and Vision Committee will keep a watch.
- It is co-chaired by the secretaries of Tourism and Culture, and with the D-G, ASI, as member.
- Projects will be evaluated based on:
- increase in tourist footfall
- improvement in overall tourism sector perception
- increase in employment generation
What are the notable adoptions?
- Government-owned NBCC has adopted Purana Qila.
- SBI Foundation, the CSR arm of state-owned SBI, has adopted the capital’s Jantar Mantar.
- Yatra.com has Hampi, Qutub Minar, and Ajanta and Ellora caves.
- GMR and ITC have submitted proposals for the Taj Mahal.
- In all, 93 Archaeological Survey of India-ticketed monuments are open for bidding.
- 30 companies have been selected to “adopt” some of these sites.
What is the recent deal?
- As per the MoU, the Dalmia Group will spend Rs 25 crore over the next 5 years.
- It will be on the light and sound show, turnstile gates, app-based multi-lingual audio guide, free Wi-Fi.
- Besides, a cafeteria and construction of ramps for differently-abled visitors (Tactile Paths) would also be taken up.
- The Group will get the privilege of placing their name on signage inside the fort.
What is the significance of Red Fort?
- In old times, taking control of the fort was considered a symbolic control of the country.
- Thus, for long, the fort has been synonymous with the regime that ruled India.
- The Red Fort is seen as a symbol of the country's freedom struggle.
- The 1857 War of Independence was led by Bahadur Shah Zafar from the Red Fort.
- That is why every prime minister has addressed the nation from its ramparts every August 15.
- It is also a world heritage site, one of the three in Delhi.
- The other two being Humayun's Tomb and Qutab Minar.
What are the concerns with leasing out?
- Handing over a symbol of the freedom struggle to a corporate entity has raised concerns.
- Allowing corporates to become managers of heritage sites raises doubts on credibility in heritage conservation.
- Corporates will have only limited “access” to core areas.
- Also, there will be “no handing over of monuments”.
- Nevertheless, at the sites where there is no ASI involved, the external parties may be allowed to touch the building as well.
What should be done?
- ASI has to be cautious in this regard.
- It must monitor the process and progress of the maintenance and upkeep work.
- India needs a uniform policy about heritage and heritage conservation.
- Experts in the field of conservation, senior historians and archaeologists should be involved in formulating a scheme.
Source: Indian Express, Economic Times
