24 monuments, sites in India are untraceable: Govt data
Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy informed Parliament that since independence, an estimated 210 thefts involving 486 objects had been reported from centrally-protected monuments/sites in 19 states and Union Territories. So far, 91 objects have been recovered as a part ongoing process.
FollowTwenty-four monuments and sites in the country are "untraceable", says data shared by the Narendra Modi government in Parliament.
In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha, Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy also informed that since independence, an estimated 210 thefts involving 486 objects had been reported from centrally-protected monuments/sites in 19 states and Union Territories. So far, 91 objects have been recovered as a part ongoing process.
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Responding to another query, the minister said that in the last eight years, the Archaeological Survey of India surveyed 8,478 villages and found antiquarian remains in 2,914 of them. The ASI 'regularly conducts village-to-village surveys to explore and record the antiquarian remains.
The ASI currently protects a total of 3,693 heritage sites in India, out of which 743 are in Uttar Pradesh alone -- the largest in a state.
Sharing state-wise data about the ASI's village-to-village survey between 2014-15 and 2021-22, the minister said that out of the 8,478 villages, the most number of villages (1,459) were surveyed in Punjab, followed by Karnataka (933). Antiquarian remains were found in 130 villages in Punjab and 806 villages in Karnataka.
The culture minister also informed that antiquarian remains were reported in 905 of the 3152 villages surveyed by the ASI during the last five years (2017-2021). In Uttar Pradesh alone, the ASI undertakes conservation works of 743 monuments, including 144 temples.
According to Reddy, monument conservation is a continuous process, and ASI carries out works based on site requirements and available resources.
The minister also gave information about the total number of ticketed and non-ticketed ASI monuments in the country. Replying to a separate question on this, Reddy said there are 3,693 monuments and sites of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958, in the country. Out of these 3,693 monuments and sites, an entry fee is charged at 143 locations.
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