Lok Sabha Question No. 6 (STARRED), answered on 2019-02-04
Subject: Encroachment of Monuments
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: KULAMANI SAMAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.6 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4.2.2019

## ENCROACHMENT OF MONUMENTS

## *6. DR. KULAMANI SAMAL:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  a  number  of  historical  and  protected  monuments/structures  and sites  have  been  illegally  encroached  by  private  individuals/groups/NGOs  in all the States and UTs including Odisha 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  Archeological  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?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a)to(d) A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.6 FOR 4.2.2019

- (a) The details of number of centrally protected monuments  under encroachments including in Odisha are at Annexure-I.
- (b) No, Madam.
- (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 under section 19 (2) of the Act and Rule 38 (2). 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.

ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO.6 FOR 4.2.2019

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)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO.6 FOR 4.2.2019

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             | Chhattisgarh  |
|         3 | Danteshwari Devi Temple   | Dantewada        | South Baster      | Chhattisgarh  |
|         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           | Haryana       |