PUNE: A non-public agency not too long ago adopted the Elephanta Caves, a Unesco World Heritage Web site, beneath the Archaeological Survey of India‘s ‘Undertake a Heritage’ scheme.
Senior officers of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) informed TOI on Saturday that this was the primary monument within the state to have been adopted beneath the initiative. Queries from pvt corporations have been acquired for adopting monuments like Shaniwarwada and Pataleshwar Caves in Pune, too.
A senior ASI official mentioned, “We not too long ago signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the non-public company that had earlier expressed curiosity in adopting the monument.The company will develop and keep public facilities on the centrally protected monument as part of its CSR (company social duty) funding.”
Following issues raised by some politicians and historians about potential commercialisation of Indian heritage beneath the scheme, ASI clarified that the monument entry ticketing system would stay solely beneath its purview.
“The monument’s entry ticket is a Authorities of India ticket. Thus, the non-public company can have no function in ticketing. Nor will it have any function in figuring out the value of the entry ticket to the adopted monument. The agency shall be accountable for the event and refurbishment of the general public facilities as part of its CSR. Most corporations which have signed MoUs beneath the scheme would use their CSR funds to develop public facilities on the websites they’ve adopted.”
The official mentioned, “As an illustration, if the agency launches a lightweight and sound present on the adopted web site, it could possibly be allowed to generate revenue from the identical to keep up the price of the present. However the revenue generated from that might be utilised just for the upkeep of the present.”
Based on the programme tips, the initiative permits the adopting company to implement semi-commercial facilities, topic to approval from the ‘Approval and Implementation Committee’. These might embody cafeterias, memento kiosks, and light-weight and sound reveals. Income generated from these actions can be used to maintain, develop, function and keep the adopted monument. Not less than 80% of the seats for any gentle and sound present ought to be priced beneath INR 200 to make sure accessibility, the rules state.
The ‘Undertake a Heritage 2.0’ programme was launched in Sept 2023 by ASI. Below the initiative, a complete of 19 MoUs have been signed to this point, masking a complete of 66 monuments in India, together with Elephanta Caves in Raigad.
