Anil Dhir
The double standards adopted by the National Monuments Authority has come to light by the recent press release by the authority in the matter of a NOC in Ahmedabad.
On the 27th of this month, top officials of National Monuments Authority and the ASI, including the NMA Chairman Tarun Vijay, swooped on a site near the Raipur Gate of the old section of Ahmedabad.According to an official press release by the NMA, the team had visited the site following suspicion of foul play to obtain an NOC for a supposedly vacant plot. To their surprise and disbelief, they found that a two-storied building and a dargah stood on the plot which had been recommended for a NOC by the Competent Authority. In their press release, the NMA reiterated that had not the physical visit been conducted, the NOC would have been issued by the Competent Authority. Notices was issued and demolition of the built structure is on the anvil.
Cut to Bhubaneswar and Puri. Both the ASI and NMA are well aware of the blatant violations of the laid down laws, they have even acknowledged that no NOC’s have been issued in RTI replies, but work is going on in full scale. No action is being taken, except for shooting off a few letters. Representatives from different organisations have met the NMA officials at Delhi and appraised them of the illegal activities both at Puri and Bhubaneswar. Even the joint inspection report by the ASI, a copy of which was sent to the NMA, has elicited no action from them. What is stopping the NMA Chairman from descending to Puri and taking a similar action as was taken in Ahmedabad? The scale of flouting the NMA norms at Puri is unprecedented, nowhere has such illegality been conducted anywhere in the country.
It is time that the NMA comes clean on the letter purportedly written by them on 4 Sept 2021, which is being used by the Odisha officials as a NOC and consent letter. The NMA team, along with its Chairman should make a physical inspection of the Puri excavation site and take appropriate action.
