Question : Encroachment of Monuments

(a) whether a number of historical and protected monuments/structures and sites have been illegally encroached upon by private individuals/groups /NGOs in all the States and UTs including Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether this encroachment has been increasing at a rapid rate during the last five years and if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) the number and the details of encroachments removed, State and UT-wise by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other civil authorities separately, during the above period; and

(d) whether steps have been taken by the Government to keep the historical monuments free from encroachments in all the States and UTs and if so, the details and the outcome thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM

(PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) The details of number of centrally protected monuments under encroachments including in Uttar Pradesh are at Annexure-I.

(b) No, Sir.

(c) The details are at Annexure-II.

(d) Pro-active steps have been taken by Archaeological Survey of India under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and Rules, 1959 to keep the historical monuments free from encroachments in all the States and UTs. Superintending Archaeologists are authorised to issue show cause notices under the provisions of the Act followed by a direction to the District Collector/Magistrate by Central Government to remove such encroachment. In order to contain the encroachments and removing them, the Superintending Archaeologist in charge of the Circles have been vested with the powers of Estate Officers to issue eviction notices/orders to the encroachers under Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. In addition to the regular watch and ward staff, private security personnel, State police guards and CISF have also been deployed for the safety and security of selected monuments.
With the great efforts encroachment for a few monuments have been removed as indicated in Annexure-II.


ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4582 FOR 22.7.2019

NUMBER OF CENTRALLY PROTECTED MONUMENTS/SITES (STATE/UT-WISE) WHICH ARE ENCROACHED UPON


Sl. No. Name of State / UT Number of Centrally protected monuments/sites under encroachments
1. Assam 6
2. Bihar 6
3. Chhattisgarh 7
4. Delhi 11
5. Himachal Pradesh 3
6. Haryana 7
7. Karnataka 48
8. Madhya Pradesh 2
9. Maharashtra 46
10. Odisha 6
11. Punjab 7
12. Tamil Nadu 74
13. Rajasthan 22
14. Uttar Pradesh 75
15. West Bengal 1
Total: 321

ANNEXURE-II


ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c)&(d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4582 FOR 22.7.2019

Details of encroachments partially removed from
the centrally protected monuments during the last five years


Sl. No. Name of monument Locality District State
1. Mahadev Temple Belpan Bilaspur Chhattisgarh
2. Chaiturgarh Fort Lapha Korba
3. Danteshwari Devi Temple Dantewada South Baster
4. Asafi Imambara Lucknow Lucknow Uttar Pradesh
5. Warren Hasting’s House Barasat North 24 Parganas West Bengal
6. Ther Mound Sirsa Sirsa Haryana
7. Mosque of Ali Vardi Khan, Sarai Ala Vardi, Gurgaon

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