The Hindu: Gulbarga: Tuesday, September 24, 2013.
An
educational institution has built a structure within its 100-m radius of the
structure
The
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) seems to have failed to take steps against
an educational institution for constructing a structure within the prohibited
area of the Haft Gumbaz.
Although the
ASI issued a notice to the institution earlier to remove the unauthorised
structure, it did not take legal action against people who violated the Ancient
Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It was social
activist K.M. Mujeebuddin, who brought the issue to the notice of the ASI
authorities. The building had come up within the 100-m radius of the Haft
Gumbaz, a series of aesthetically constructed domes where the mortal remains of
the royal family of Bahmani dynasty had been buried.
When no
action was forthcoming from local officials of the ASI, Mr. Mujeebuddin took up
the issue with the circle office of ASI in Dharwad, and later filed an
application under the Right to Information Act seeking information on the
action taken to remove the illegal structure and the penalty imposed.
It was only
after filing of the RTI application that the circle office issued a notice to
the institution in February, 2013.
However, no
action was taken after this and hence Mr. Mujeebuddin filed another RTI
application. For this, the Superintending Archaeologist in ASI, Dharwad Circle,
replied in the negative and said no one had been punished or penalised. “I want
to know why the ASI has not taken legal action against the educational
institution for violating the Act,” Mr. Mujubuddin said.
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