A parliamentary panel has recommended to the Centre that in the upcoming amendment of the AMASR Act, “strong provisions” may be incorporated for fixing accountability of government officials to ensure necessary steps are taken timely for tackling encroachment of centrally protected monuments.
The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, in its report, has also strongly recommended that provisions to “empower the local bodies for the protection of historical monuments” and to make them accountable may be incorporated in the amendment of the AMASR Act that is being worked upon by the Culture Ministry.
‘Three Hundred Sixty Third Report on the Action Taken by the Government on the recommendations and observations of the Committee contained in its Three Hundred Twenty-Fourth Report’ on ‘Issues relating to Untraceable Monuments and Protection of Monuments in India’, was presented in both Houses last week.
The sites under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are maintained under the ambit of the AMSAR (Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains) Act.
At present, over 3,690 monuments are under the ASI.
“The Committee takes note of the existing framework and recommends that in the upcoming amendment of the AMASR Act being worked upon by the Ministry, strong provisions may be incorporated for fixing accountability of concerned government officials to ensure that necessary steps are taken timely for tackling encroachment of Centrally Protected Monuments,” the report says.
The officials concerned should be “liable to be prosecuted in case of gross negligence of their duties” with regard to tackling the encroachment of CPMs, it said.
