3 Monuments Missing In Jammu Kashmir

Nov. 21, 2009 - PRLog -- Rapid urbanisation has devoured 35 monuments, including 12 in the National Capital, which were under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The monuments, all Centrally-protected, are not traceable now, Union Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy, who also holds the ad-hoc charge of Culture Minister, told the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

"Out of the 3,675 Centrally-protected monuments or sites, 35 are not traceable," he said, indicating that urbanisation has devoured the historical sites.

In a written reply, he said currently 3,463 monument attendants are posted at the Centrally protected monuments for their round the clock maintenance, safety and security.

Two historic sites in Karnataka and rock carving of Sitala, rock carving of Devi riding a lion and Visveswara and other cave temple are missing in Jammu and Kashmir.

As against the requirement of 13,230 monument attendants, only 3463 of them are in position. Creation of 10,000 more posts of monument attendants is under consideration of the Government, he said.

Some of the heritage structures which are missing are Guns of Emperor Sher Shah at Na-sadia (Assam), Ruins of Copper Temple, Paya in Arunachal Pradesh, the Moti Gaze of Sher Shah’s Delhi, Poll Chdar, Alipur Cemetery, Tomb with three domes near the Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi and Mughal Kos Minar in Haryana.

The ASI is the statutory body responsible for protection and conservation of monuments.

"Main factors responsible for it are: rapid urbanisation, pressure of developmental projects and inadequate staff with ASI for protecting the monuments," Narayanasamy said.

Twelve monuments in the National Capital, eight in Uttar Pradesh, three each from Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir and two each in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana are untraceable.

One monument each in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Karnataka have gone missing.

Inchla Wali Gumti, Joga Bai, Shamsi Tallab and Nicholson Statue are some of the monuments in the national capital which are untraceable, Narayanasamy said.

In Uttar Pradesh, Closed Cemetery, Sandi Khera Cemetery, Gunner Burkill’s Tomb are some of the heritage structures which are missing.

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