Question : THEFT OF ARTIFACTS FROM NATIONAL MUSEUM

(a) whether attention of the Government has been drawn to the newsitem regarding theft of Artifacts from National Museum in the `Rashtriya Sahara` dated May 31, 2001;

(b) if so, the details of stolen artifacts from the National Museum and the time when theft of the said artifacts came to the notice of the Government;

(c) the persons to whom responsibility of safety of the said artifacts was assigned and the action taken against them;

(d) whether the Government propose to investigate the theft of artifacts in a scientific manner; and

(e) if so, the time by which inquiry is likely to be completed?

MINISTER OF TOURISM & CULTURE ( SHRI ANANTH KUMAR)

(a) : Yes, Sir.

(b) to (e) : Based on similar complaints received earlier, the Government set up a Physical Verification Committee in 1996 for physical and scientific verification of art objects of National Museum. Based on a Public Interest Litigation filed in 1997 before it, the Hon`ble High Court, Delhi had directed that the reports of this Committee may be submitted to it regularly in sealed cover. Thus the Hon`ble High Court is monitoring this aspect closely and regularly. The reports of the Physical Verification Committee are being submitted to the Hon`ble Court regularly and, in fact, recently in December 2000 the Hon`ble Court has disposed of the above petition with the direction to the Committee to submit its reports to it regularly.