A 15-member delegation team from ‘Struggle Committee’, a task force constituted by The Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram and Chromepet (FCWAPC), to resolve the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) issue, recently met Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (independent charge), and Dr. B. R. Mani, Additional Director General (ADG), ASI, in New Delhi seeking re-examination of the ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) order.
It may be recalled that the Federation submitted a memorandum to K. N. Ramachandran, Member of Parliament, Sriperumbudur, to scrap the ASI order forbidding construction of buildings in the five wards of Pallavaram.
Following Ramachandran’s speech, in the Parliament on August 17, on the need to set up a National Monuments Authority and issue suitable orders to ASI for not insisting on NOC for construction and repairs from residents, Naik had replied to the special mention raised by the MP in this regard in the Lok Sabha.
He said, “As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment & Validation) Act 2010 and the rules framed thereunder, persons having buildings or houses in the Prohibited Area (100 metres from protected monuments, in case of regulated area 200 metres beyond prohibited area) of any Centrally-protected monument may undertake repairs and renovation after obtaining permission from the competent authority on the recommendations of the National Monuments Authority (NMA).”
“The NMA has been set up in New Delhi for recommending grant of ‘No Objection Certificate’ to the competent authorities concerned as per the relevant provisions of the said Act,” he added.
The Federation sought re-examination of the NOC order stating that residents have to go through a lot of formalities to get NOC for repair and renovation works. “It is not an easy process, and also the formalities for getting the certificate have not been listed.
“The Federation seeks total exemption in this regard,” V. Santhanam, president, FCWAPC, said.
With no guidelines issued by ASI for obtaining NOC order, and maintaining silence on total exemption, the residents spent several sleepless nights fearing future course of action.
The Minister and ADG heard the delegation team’s grievances patiently and assured them that the issue would be sorted out amicably. “The ASI is working in this regard. An amendment will be passed after due process,” Yesso Naik said.
