Daily Pioneer: New Delhi: Monday, July 02, 2018.
Monument
mitras' (friends of heritage sites) have been appointed for five heritage sites
in Delhi, including the Red Fort, under the Government's ambitious 'Adopt a
Heritage' scheme.
According to
information obtained from the 'Adopt a Heritage' cell of the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the national
Capital's Red Fort and Andhra Pradesh's Gandikota Fort have been included in
the scheme.
Lucknow-based
RTI activist Aishwarya Parashar had sought information from the Prime
Minister's Office about the progress made on the 'Adopt a Heritage' scheme.
On April 9, a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of India
and the Dalmia Bharat Group appointing it as the 'monument mitra' of the Red
Fort, information obtained under the RTI said.
On June 11,
the government signed an MoU with the Caper Travel Company, appointing the firm
as the 'monument mitra' for Azim Khan's Tomb located on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon
road, the Jamali Kamali heritage in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Rajon Ki
Baoli and Moth Ki Masjid, it added.
Under the
MoU, the Dalmia Group will work to improve the amenities at the Red Fort in a
time-bound manner. These will include drinking water kiosks, maintaining
cleanliness, a surveillance system, comfortable chairs for tourists and
improved facilities for the differently-abled, the response to the RTI
application said.
Work will
also be done to provide better lighting in the Red Fort, better toilets, 3D
projection mapping, organising sound and light shows and improving the mobile
app, it said.
The RTI
application response added that efforts will be made to organise cultural
programmes within the Red Fort premises after obtaining permission from the ASI
and the use of battery operated vehicles will be encouraged.
The Union
Tourism Ministry, Ministry of Culture, ASI and the respective companies are
party to the MoUs signed for adoption of these monuments. The MoU has been
signed for an initial period of five years.