Process initiated to declare some of centrally-protected monuments as no more of national importance

The government has initiated the process to declare a set of 18 centrally-protected monuments located in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and a few other states as no more of national importance, according to an official gazette notification.

The gazette notification, dated March 8, was published on Tuesday.

It contains a list ('schedule') of monuments that include 'Kos Minar No.13' at Mujessar village in Haryana, Bara Khamba Cemetery in Delhi, Gunner Burkill's Tomb at Rangoon in Jhansi, Cemetery at Gaughat in Lucknow, and tablet on the Treasury building in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The move comes nearly five months after a parliamentary panel in its report had 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 panel has recommended rationalisation of the list of national monuments by deleting some 'Kosminars' from the list.

''Whereas, the Central government is of the opinion that the ancient and historical monuments specified in the Schedule to this notification have ceased to be of national importance,'' read the gazette notification.

''Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 35 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958), the Central government hereby gives notice of its intention to declare that the monuments specified in the Schedule to this notification have ceased to be of national importance for the purposes of said Act,'' it says.

Any objection or suggestions may be made within a period of two months from the date of issue of this notification by any interested person on the said monuments to the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, it adds.

''The objections or suggestions, if any, received from any person with respect to this notification within the period so specified shall be taken into consideration by the Central government,'' according to the gazette notification.

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 in September.

The report had also 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, adding, for instance, the rules apply identically to the iconic Ajanta and Ellora monuments as much as to 'Kosminars', unknown cemeteries and tombs etc.

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