Lok Sabha Question No. 220 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-15
Subject: Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage in Punjab
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Malvinder Singh Kang

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO. *220

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2025

## PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN PUNJAB

## *220 . SHRI  MALVINDER SINGH KANG:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the key cultural heritage preservation and promotion projects funded by the Government in Punjab during the last three years, including budgets and outcomes;
- (b) the  impact  of  the  financial  assistance  provided  by  the  Government  for  art and culture organizations in Punjab;
- (c) the  extent  of  Government  support  for  promotion  of  Punjabi  folk  and traditional arts;
- (d) the  details  of  the  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  to  develop  cultural tourism  in  Punjab  particularly  around  heritage  sites  like  those  linked  to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev; and
- (e) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  is  supporting  capacity  building  in cultural  education and training institutions in Punjab, such as institutes for archaeology, heritage and performing arts?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND  TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

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

to

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *220 FOR 15.12.2025.

- (a) There are 33 Centrally Protected Monuments/Sites under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Punjab State. The conservation and preservation including maintenance of these monuments/sites is taken up as per the need and availability of resources subject to the National Policy for Conservation and all monuments/sites are in good state of preservation. The details  of  funds  allocated  and  spent  for  conservation  of  centrally  protected monuments/sites  in  the  state  of  Punjab  during  the  last  three  years  are  as under:

## (Amount in Crs.)

|   Sl. No. | Financial Year   |   Total Allocation |   Expendit ure |
|-----------|------------------|--------------------|----------------|
|         1 | 2022-23          |               2.79 |           2.79 |
|         2 | 2023-24          |               4.95 |           4.95 |
|         3 | 2024-25          |               3.43 |           3.43 |

- (b) The Government of India has set up North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) at
- & Patiala (Punjab) to promote the folk art of its member States including the
- (c) State of  Punjab. NZCC organizes various   cultural  activities/programmes which include Punjabi folk and traditional arts on regular basis in its member States including the State of Punjab for which annual grant-in-aid is provided to  them.  Some  of  the  key  programmes  include  the  National  Cultural Exchange Programme, Kalagram activities, Theatre Rejuvenation Programme, Documentation/Publication, Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs/Zonal-level RSMs, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Har Ghar Tiranga among others. Outcome of these programmes reflect that 7154 artists during 2021-22,  15622  during  2022-23  and  24985  during  2023-24  have  been benefitted from these initiatives.

Number of Cultural activities/programmes organized by NZCC in the State of Punjab during the last three years are as under:

| Year    |   Number of cultural activities/programmes organized in Punjab |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2022-23 |                                                             51 |
| 2023-24 |                                                             50 |
| 2024-25 |                                                             45 |

Besides  details  of  financial  assistance  for  promotion  of  Guru-Shishya Parampara  (Repertory  Grant),  Cultural  Function  &  Production  Grant  is attached as Annexure - I.

- (d) Ministry of Tourism through its different  schemes viz. 'Swadesh Darshan (SD)',  'Swadesh  Darshan  2.0'  (the  revamped  structure  of  SD  scheme), 'Challenge  Based  Destination  Development  (CBDD)'-  a  sub-scheme  of Swadesh  Darshan  2.0,  'Pilgrimage  Rejuvenation  and  Spiritual  Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)' and 'Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism  Infrastructure  Development  (ACATID)'  also  provides  financial assistance to the State Governments/UT Administrations/ Central Agencies for  development  of  tourism  infrastructure  and  experiences  in  the  country including the State of Punjab. This financial support is provided on receipt of the  project  proposal  under  the  relevant  scheme  from  the  concerned  State Government/  UT  Administration/  Central  Agency,  in  synergy  with  the relevant  scheme  guidelines,  Government  instructions,  availability  of  funds etc.  The  details  of  the  tourism  infrastructure projects  sanctioned  under SD, SD2.0, CBDD, PRASHAD and ACATID in the state of Punjab is attached as Annexure - II.

Further, Government of India under the scheme 'Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) - Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale' sanctioned 40 tourism projects in the country for Rs. 3295.76 Crore including the project 'Development of Heritage Street as a tribute to Shaheed-e-Azam, Sardar Bhaghat Singh at Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar' in the State of Punjab for ₹53.45 Crore during Financial Year (FY) 2024-25.

- (e) Pt.  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyaya,  Institute  of  Archaeology,  Greater  Noida  is  a center of learning of the discipline of Archaeology and its allied disciplines like  Art,  Architecture,  Prehistory,  Protohistory,  Epigraphy,  Numismatics, Iconography, Museology, etc. flourishing under the aegis of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for decades. This Institute conducts a One-year Post Graduate  Diploma  in  Archaeology  for  national  &  international  students wherein theoretical and practical training is provided to them.

Along with this, it also provides training to in-service personnel time to time as part of the capacity building measures of ASI. Further, it organizes short-term  training  programs/workshops  for  other  universities/institutions also.

Annexure-I

ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b  &  c)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA STARRED   QUESTION NO. *220 FOR 15.12.2025.

## FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  FOR  PROMOTION  OF  GURU-SHISHYA  PARAMPARA (REPERTORY GRANT)

(Rs. in lakhs)

| State/UT2022-2023   | State/UT2022-2023   | State/UT2022-2023   | 2023-24                 | 2023-24   | 2024-25                 | 2024-25   |
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|-------------------------|-----------|-------------------------|-----------|
|                     | Nos. of Orgs        | Amount              | Nos. of Orgs authorized | Amount    | Nos. of Orgs authorized | Amount    |
| Punjab              | 6                   | 43.56               | 10                      | 66.68     | 8                       | 56.06     |

Cultural Function & Production Grant

(Rs. in lakhs)

| State/UT   | 2022-2023    | 2022-2023   | 2023-24                 | 2023-24   | 2024-25                 | 2024-25   |
|------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------------|-----------|-------------------------|-----------|
|            | Nos. of Orgs | Amount      | Nos. of Orgs authorized | Amount    | Nos. of Orgs authorized | Amount    |
| Punjab     | 12           | 23.27       | 11                      | 22.65     | 9                       | 22        |

## ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (d)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA STARRED   QUESTION NO. *220 FOR 15.12.2025.

| Scheme/Sub-scheme/ initiative           | Name of the project                                                                                                                             | Year of sanction   |   Amount Sanctioned (₹ Crore) |
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------------------|
| Swadesh Darshan                         | Development of Anandpur Sahib - Fatehgarh Sahib - Chamkaur Sahib - Ferozpur - Khatkar Kalan - Kalanour - Patiala (Heritage Circuit)             | 2018-19            |                         85.32 |
| Swadesh Darshan 2.0                     | Eco Tourism experience at Kanjli wetland                                                                                                        | 2023-24            |                         20.06 |
| Swadesh Darshan 2.0                     | Border Tourism Experience at Attari                                                                                                             | 2024-25            |                         25.91 |
| Challenge Based Destination Development | Cultural and Heritage Strech at Hussainiwala Border, Ferozepur                                                                                  | 2024-25            |                         25    |
| Challenge Based Destination Development | Heritage street -A symbol of peace and Harmony at Sri Anandpur Sahib, Rupnagar                                                                  | 2024-25            |                         24.9  |
| PRASHAD                                 | Development of Karuna Sagar Valmiki Sthal at Amritsar                                                                                           | 2015-16            |                          6.4  |
| PRASHAD                                 | Development of Chamkaur Sahib                                                                                                                   | 2021-22            |                         30.52 |
| ACATID                                  | Infrastructural Development at JCP Attari, Wagha Border                                                                                         | 2018-19            |                         12.87 |
| ACATID                                  | Restoration/ Renovation of 'Jallianwala Bagh Memorial' & Additional work to be taken at Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial at Amritsar, Punjab. | 2018-19            |                         23.02 |
| ACATID                                  | Amritsar Railway Station                                                                                                                        | 2013-14            |                          5.84 |

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