A large number of ancient monuments remained unidentified in Karnataka, where there was no coordinated strategic approach to heritage management, according to CAG.
A large number of ancient monuments remained unidentified in Karnataka, where there was no coordinated strategic approach to heritage management, according to CAG.
The protection and conservation of heritage monuments in the State other than those under the control of Archaelogical Survey of India vest with the Commissioner of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, Bangalore and Director of Archaeology and Museums, Mysore.
"There was no coordinated strategic approach to heritage management, resulting in ad hoc approach to decision making, resource allocation and conservation practice," CAG said in a report for the year ending March 31, 2011, tabled in the just-concluded legislature session.
"The Commissioner/Director did not focus on identification and inventorisation of the heritage monuments and consequently, a large number of ancient monuments remained unidentified in the State," it said.
Land adjoining the monuments had not been declared as protected despite orders issued by the Government in March 1998. Only 31 out of 763 protected monuments had protective fencing. Watch and ward staff engaged for the monuments was also very meagre.
As many as 19 out of 47 monuments jointly inspected had either been encroached upon or had buildings constructed adjacent to them. Most technical staff responsible for heritage conservation lacked heritage management and had also not been trained.
Key heritage sites were not identified by a survey of land and distribution of meagre resources available for preservation and conservation was not driven by the relative significance of the assets, the CAG report said.
The budget preparation exercise was also flawed as it did not project requirement of funds for cyclical maintenance and capital expenditure. There was no effort to present the monuments to the public and most of the them jointly inspected did not even have a sign/display board.
The CAG report also pointed out regional bias in conservation works.
A review of conservation works executed by the Director showed that while allocation of funds for conservation works in respect of Bangalore and Mysore divisions with a total of 208 monuments had been Rs 21.63 crore during 2006-11, it was only Rs 11.20 crore during the same period in respect of Belgaum and Gulbarga divisions with a total of 555 monuments.
CAG recommended maintaining of a heritage management database containing all information relating to history and management of assets, and conducting regular analysis of the heritage monuments.
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