Govt to allow private players to take part in conservation work: Details

Private agencies will soon be allowed to take part in conserving India’s protected monuments, a role which has been reserved with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) till now, according to a report by The Indian Express.

 

Within two weeks, the Ministry of Culture will allow corporate donors to directly hire approved private conservation agencies to carry out this work.

What will change?

Earlier, all conservation work at around 3,700 protected monuments was handled only by the ASI. Even when private funds were used, the ASI planned and executed the entire project.

 

Now, private agencies will share this responsibility, while the ASI will continue to supervise the work.

 

How will the new system work?

The ministry has listed 250 monuments that urgently need conservation. Corporate donors who give money to the National Culture Fund (NCF) as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can choose from this list. If they want to work on monuments in a specific region, they can also approach the ministry separately.

 

Donors can also choose a conservation agency, which will prepare a detailed plan for the work. The actual restoration will be done under the guidance of conservation experts and will be monitored by the ASI or the concerned government authority. This is to ensure that all rules and conservation standards are followed.

What is the process?

The Ministry of Culture is selecting conservation architects and agencies for this new system. More than 20 private agencies from across the country have already applied.

 

Once the application process closes on January 12, a government committee will check and approve the agencies. This process is expected to take about a week. After that, private donors can directly work with these agencies.

Who can become a conservation agency?

To be selected, agencies must have experience in restoring heritage structures that are at least 100 years old. This includes work done for the ASI, state archaeology departments, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Public Works Department (PWDs), public sector units, municipal bodies, or even private palaces and historic buildings.

Why is the government doing this?

According to the report, the move comes as conservation work moved slowly when the ASI was the only agency responsible. With private players joining in, the government hopes the work will be completed faster and within fixed deadlines.

 

This move is also expected to create more trained professionals in the heritage sector and improve the quality of conservation work.

Is it different from ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme?

The latest move is different from the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme, given that companies could only build facilities like toilets, ticket counters, cafes, and pathways in the earlier scheme. This is the first time private donors will be allowed to support and execute core conservation work on protected monuments.

Which countries are doing this?

Many countries already use public-private partnerships for heritage conservation. The United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and the Netherlands all allow private funding and organisations to help protect historic buildings, under government supervision.