*No meeting of Authority convened since 2013
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 17: Indicating that no serious attention is being paid towards much needed conservation of heritage both tangible and intangible, the Jammu and Kashmir Heritage Conser-vation and Preservation Act, which was enacted seven years back, has remained confined to the official files till date as no meeting of Authority created under this legislation has been convened since 2013.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the year 2010 the State Legislature passed the Jammu and Kashmir Heritage Conservation and Preservation Act for conservation and preservation of heritage including buildings, structures, monuments, precincts, artifacts, sculptures, paintings, handicrafts, manuscripts, music, dance, drama, performing acts, living traditions like crafts etc.
The Act received the assent of the Governor on April 28, 2010 and much hype was created over this legislation on the ground that it will go a long way in conservation and preservation of both tangible and intangible heritage.
As per the provisions of Section 7 of the Act, the then Government even created J&K Heritage Conservation and Preservation Authority with Tourism and Culture Minister as its Chairman for the purpose of exercising powers and performing the functions assigned to it under this Act. Even three meetings of this Authority were convened—last in February 2013, sources said.
In the third meeting of the Authority, it was decided that Executive Committee will be constituted which will coordinate and implement the decisions to be taken by the Authority. Thereafter, neither any meeting of the Authority was convened nor the Executive Committee constituted, sources informed.
“Not only previous Government completely ignored this important piece of legislation even the present PDP-BJP Coalition Government preferred to keep this Act in the official files instead of initiating steps to ensure its implementation”, sources regretted, adding “this is notwithstanding the fact that on numerous occasions the present Government made statements claiming that conservation and preservation of rich heritage has been flagged as priority”.
“The present Government is in oblivion despite the fact that Authority is required to prepare heritage conservation and preservation plans in respect of both tangible and intangible heritage”, they said, adding “this Authority even enjoys the powers to acquire or take possession of any heritage for maintenance besides having powers to issue temporary protection orders vis-à-vis heritage both tangible and intangible”.
According to the sources, the J&K Heritage Conservation and Preservation Authority also enjoys the powers to control changes, distortions and tampering in/of intangible cultural heritage by devising such scientific documentation methods/heritage patient regimes and intellectual property rights over such intangible cultural heritage as may be prescribed.
It has also been explicitly mentioned in the Act that Government may from time to time allocate to J&K Heritage Conservation and Preservation Fund money from the consolidated fund of the State and contribution to the fund may also be received by way of donations, grants etc from various agencies towards heritage conservation. But this aspect has also been completely ignored, sources said.
They disclosed that Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu, who was earlier holding the charge of Culture Department, during Budget Speech 2016-17 had proposed to set-up a Heritage Conservation Fund for heritage buildings in the State. He had also stated that out of 800 heritage listed structures he intended to take up in the first year 50 such structures and fund the conservation and restoration work of these structures. For this he had even earmarked Rs 5 crore for the year 2016-17.
“But till date the Fund has not been made operational”, sources said, adding “in this way the present Government is making mockery of Budget announcements”.
How the Government would be able to protect the heritage by not implementing the Legislation enacted seven years back and not initiating follow-up action on Budget announcement remain million dollar questions, sources remarked.
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