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Legal route to save Ram Bagh PDF Print E-mail
Written by Alokparna Das   
Friday, 08 June 2007

Ram BaghCHANDIGARH: Auctioning a land close to the historic Ram Bagh for a 3,00,000 square feet shopping mall has landed Amritsar Municipal Corporation in trouble. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has filed a case against the developer, MGF, and has made MC a party in it. The developer has not only started construction within 27 metres of Ram Bagh — in violation of the 1958 Act which states that no construction can take place within 100 metres of a protected monument — but has also dug up 45 feet below the ground to make provision for more than one basement.

The land was auctioned at Rs 78 crore a year back. Sources in ASI said with both the developer and MC paying no heed to its notices, ASI has filed a case and the first hearing has been scheduled for June 8. This is the first time ASI has filed a court case in Amritsar.

For MC, more than the legal tangle, it is a case of embarrassment. It's been barely a week since the Centre sanctioned Rs 25 crore to develop Amritsar as a major tourist destination. And MC's callous act of auctioning a land that's just a stone's throw from one of the most prominent landmarks of the city has surely not added any sheen to the holy city's potential to attract tourists. Worse, the digging around the site has endangered the protected monument.

Countering allegations regarding MC's insensitivity towards the city's heritage, assistant commissioner NC Kirpal said, "MC had auctioned the land only after the state government gave permission. Now that a case has been filed, we have asked government to intervene and resolve the issue."

For ASI, this case would add to the legal actions it has been taking against those who damage precious heritage. "Throughout Punjab and Haryana, we are currently fighting around 15 cases to safeguard various heritage sites. The legal route is usually the last resort, but perhaps the most effective way to salvage historic monuments," said VC Sharma, deputy superintending archaeologist, Chandigarh circle of ASI.



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