PAC calls for expediting ASI restructuring to meet challenges of preservation of monuments

(UNI) The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has called for expediting the restructuring process within the Archaeological Survey of India and expeditious filling of its vacancies to facilitate the organisation to meet its challenges.
In its 118th report on the action taken by the government on the recommendations of the committee in their 39th report, the PAC also recommended an expeditious setting up of state-level coordination committees for removal of encroachments upon monuments at the earliest without any further loss of time.
It also recommended that the Culture ministry should set up an expert group to examine the feasibility for enhancing revenue generation through premium renting of well-known sites for social and family events with proper guidelines.
Stressing the urgent need for cadre restructuring of the ASI, the committee, in its report presented in Parliament earlier this week, felt that ”the ministry is not serious about it”.
”The committee feels that the Ministry is not serious about cadre restructuring of the ASI. The committee noted that the proposal for cadre restructuring of the ASI was submitted to the Ministry of culture in March 2017 and received back with direction to ‘re submit the same in line with directions issued by the Ministry of Finance.