ASI has no inventory of privately-owned heritage homes: Govt tells Parl

So far, the NMMA, has documented and published data for 11,406 built heritage and sites which are 100 years old or more, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in Lok Sabha

The ASI "does not maintain" any inventory of privately-owned heritage homes, specifically, however, the government's National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) prepares two national registers on monuments and antiquities across the country, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

So far, the NMMA, set up in 2007, has documented and published data for 11,406 built heritage and sites which are 100 years old or more, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in the Lok Sabha in a written response to a query.

Tangella Uday Srinivas, Kakinada MP from Andhra Pradesh, asked him whether the government maintains any inventory or registry of privately-owned heritage homes and buildings in the country, and if so, to share state-wise details.

"The Archaeological Survey of India does not maintain any inventory of privately-owned heritage homes, specifically, however, the Government of India has established the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) in 2007 to prepare two national registers on monuments and antiquities from length and breadth across the country," Shekhawat said.

According to its website, the NMMA's objectives include documentation and creation of a suitable database on built heritage and sites through published and unpublished secondary sources for information and dissemination to planners, researchers, etc. and for better management of such cultural resources.

Besides, to promote awareness and sensitise people concerning the benefits of preserving the historical and cultural aspects of built heritage, sites and antiquities.

The Union minister, in his written response, also shared the state-wise break-up of the 11,406 built heritage and sites, which has been published on the NMMA website.

According to this list, the corresponding figures are 2160 in Rajasthan, 2015 in Odisha, 1788 in Andhra Pradesh, 749 in Madhya Pradesh, 20 in Bihar and one in Haryana.

Shekhawat was also asked whether any financial assistance, tax incentives or special schemes exist to support the private owners in the conservation, restoration or adaptive reuse of such heritage properties, and if so, the details thereof; and whether the government has "any proposal to introduce a dedicated central scheme" to provide financial or technical assistance for conservation of privately-owned heritage homes, and if so, the details and timeline thereof.

"This is outside the mandate of ASI," the Union minister said in response to the above two queries. There are 3,698 centrally protected monuments and sites, and 52 museums under the ambit of the ASI. The ASI was set up in 1861, and it comes under the purview of the Ministry of Culture.