Indian government launches heritage site adoption scheme to private companies for maintenance

Monday, April 30, 2018

Indian government has made a controversial decision to give contract to the private companies to maintain the heritage sites of India.

But the heritage activists and opposition parties have accused the government of trying to privatise historic relics such as the Taj Mahal after it launched a controversial scheme allowing companies to “adopt” dozens of Indian historical monuments.

The opposition politicians accused government of “leasing out” monuments under the “Adopt a Heritage” plan that will see 95 historic sites taken over by private companies.

The India’s tourism ministry on Saturday announced a five-year contract worth 250 million rupees ($3.7m) with the Dalmia Bharat conglomerate for the iconic 17th-century Red Fort in Delhi and another fort in the south Indian state Andhra Pradesh.

There are other monuments which are on the list that include the Taj Mahal – which two conglomerates are competing for – and the 12th-century UNESCO-listed Qutub Minar complex in Delhi.

The government of India says that the contracts awarded under the adoption programme will only cover development, operations and maintenance of amenities around the Red Fort.

Dalmia Bharat will be allowed to put up some advertising, set ticket prices and earn money from their sales, under government supervision.

All these proceeds will work for improvements of the monument, according to government officials, who insist companies will not be allowed to profit from the scheme.

The opposition Congress Party criticized the programme and called for more government funds to run the facilities instead.

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