House panel asks ASI to adopt best global practices to attract visitors

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should assess the impact of its efforts towards getting more visitors to monuments falling under its jurisdiction, and compare them with the best global practices.

A high-level Parliamentary panel has suggested this to the culture ministry in a recently released report.

Referring to footfalls at Centrally protected monuments, the committee on transport, tourism and culture recommended that the culture ministry "should make an assessment of the cumulative impact of all the ASI efforts towards attracting more number of visitors to ASI monuments and examine these efforts vis-a-vis the best global practices". 

It has further suggested that state-of-the-art technologies being adopted by other countries in promotion of culture also need to be studied so that the same could be replicated in India as well.

The Rajya Sabha panel further sought to know about the fate of 50 missing Centrally protected monuments and recommended the ministry to direct ASI to initiate an urgent survey of such monuments in light of the lack of physical security instead of making it "as and when" matter based on the inputs of ASI field officers.

While appreciating ASI's efforts towards retrieving antiquities, the committee sought to be briefed about the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) being followed in this regard, especially the responsibility of upkeep and preservation of the repatriated antiquities including the role of respective states and the involvement of museum authorities.

The committee also suggested that the culture ministry should put in all efforts to allocate adequate funds to North eastern states. 

The ministry should strive make an effort for 100 per cent utilisation of the budget grants available for promotion and awareness of it's varied schemes being implemented in North eastern areas, it said.

The committee further reiterated that there is a consistent decrease in the funds allocated to the North eastern states and it felt that the 10 per cent mandatory allotment should be revised as per the demands raised by individual states in North eastern areas. 

The ministry must increase the said amount as per the requirements of states and cultural organisations for proper promotion of the programmes and activities to be undertaken in Northeastern areas, it stated further.