No proposal to hire international expert for conservation of Taj Mahal: Centre

  • | Monday | 13th August, 2018

While Rs 4.69 crore was spent against the allocation of Rs 4.81 crore in 2016-17 and almost the entire allocated fund of Rs 3.65 crore was spent in 2015-16.Interestingly, this year the fund allocated to the Taj Mahal is just Rs 3.74 crore. Agra: Contrary to the advice of the apex court, the central government has categorically denied any move to hire an international expert for the conservation of the Taj Mahal.The denial came from Union cultural minister Mahesh Sharma, while he was replying to an unstarred question by TG Venkatesh Babu, Mullappally Ramachandran, and P Nagarajan in the Lok Sabha. Of this, a sum of Rs 2.17 crore has already been spent on the monument till now, which include the repairs of the minarets of the royal and south gates of the monument and the finial of the Shahi mosque that were damaged during a fierce storm that hit Agra and the neighbouring districts on April 11 this year. The three MPs had asked whether the government has any plan to hire an international expert for the restoration work of the Mughal era monument.Recently, the Supreme Court had expressed concern over the marble structure turning green and the bench on May 1 had asked the Centre and UP government to think about hiring experts from outside “if local experts could not do the job”.In the next hearing on May 9, the Centre had informed the court that they were considering the suggestion to involve international experts in the conservation of the Unesco world heritage monument.Sharma also informed the House that Rs 12.68 crore funds had been allocated for the Taj Mahal in the last three years.According to year-wise figures provided by the government, an expenditure of Rs 4.12 crore was incurred against the allocation of Rs 4.22 crore in 2017-18 for the conservation of the monument.

Agra: Contrary to the advice of the apex court, the central government has categorically denied any move to hire an international expert for the conservation of the Taj Mahal.The denial came from Union cultural minister Mahesh Sharma, while he was replying to an unstarred question by TG Venkatesh Babu, Mullappally Ramachandran, and P Nagarajan in the Lok Sabha. The three MPs had asked whether the government has any plan to hire an international expert for the restoration work of the Mughal era monument.Recently, the Supreme Court had expressed concern over the marble structure turning green and the bench on May 1 had asked the Centre and UP government to think about hiring experts from outside “if local experts could not do the job”.In the next hearing on May 9, the Centre had informed the court that they were considering the suggestion to involve international experts in the conservation of the Unesco world heritage monument.Sharma also informed the House that Rs 12.68 crore funds had been allocated for the Taj Mahal in the last three years.According to year-wise figures provided by the government, an expenditure of Rs 4.12 crore was incurred against the allocation of Rs 4.22 crore in 2017-18 for the conservation of the monument. While Rs 4.69 crore was spent against the allocation of Rs 4.81 crore in 2016-17 and almost the entire allocated fund of Rs 3.65 crore was spent in 2015-16.Interestingly, this year the fund allocated to the Taj Mahal is just Rs 3.74 crore. Of this, a sum of Rs 2.17 crore has already been spent on the monument till now, which include the repairs of the minarets of the royal and south gates of the monument and the finial of the Shahi mosque that were damaged during a fierce storm that hit Agra and the neighbouring districts on April 11 this year.

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