GUWAHATI, May 20 ? Lack of awareness among the people regarding preservation of the aesthetic beauty of ancient monuments coupled with paucity of fund makes it a tough task to preserve and maintain the archaeological sites in the State. As on date the State has a total 93 archaeological sites which are manned by only 35 monument attendants as the department doesn?t have budgetary provision to engage at least one attendant per monument. Obviously the archaeology department in the State needs active support from the community to preserve and maintain these monuments. Unfortunately that is what is not forthcoming. As the director of the department HN Dutta puts it : ?People are more interested in economic exploitation of monuments than in preserving their aesthetic beauty. It in the local community which has destroyed the characters of many archaeological sites like Basisthashram, Sukreswar temple in the State.?
The climatic condition in the State accelerate the decay of historical monuments. Still, the state government doesn?t care to make provisions for a regular annual grant for archaeology department for the upkeep of monuments. Barring an amount of Rs 4 lakh granted last year, the department has not received fund for maintenance and repair of monuments since 1997. That the archaeology in the state in governed by the education department, which in always overburdened with work and problems, has made the matter worse.
In all other states in the country archaeology comes under cultural affairs department. The state Archaeology Department today badly needs an emergency fund and adequate infrastructure. It has only one vehicle in running condition while its employees have not been paid TA and DA for outstation assignments for years, informs the deputy director Dipi Rekha Kouli. The size of the annual budget of the department is Rs 50 lakh only while the yearly requirement for payment of salaries and wages to 77 regular employees and muster roll workers stands at around Rs 45 lakh.
However, the director hopes that things will change for better as the Chief Minister has taken interest in preservation of monuments in the State. Driven by the hopes, the department has submitted a Rs 1 crore proposal before the government for regular maintenance of its sites, computerisation of record keeping exercise, procurement of vehicles etc.
With the Rs 4 lakh provided by the state government last year, the department could manage to complete restoration works at archaeological sites at Maina in Karimganj, Garakhia doul in Sivasagar, Pingaleswar at Korara in Kamrup and excavation at Duboroni in Golaghat district. The restoration works include erection of fencing around the monument, giving a facelift, making provision for drinking water for visitors coming to the sites etc.
With the Eleventh Finance Commission granting Rs 4.70 crore for the five years, the archaeology department plans to improve the ambience and restore the monuments at 20 sites in the State. Already Rs 80 lakh has been received from the amount granted by the Eleventh Finance Commission. The money will be utilised in excavation work at Ambari site, restriction, preservation and development works at Nazirakhat and Na-pukhuri sites. The department plans to introduce entry fees for visitors to these sites after their renovation is completed.
The director informed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had agreed to provide full technological support and expertise for resumption of excavation work at Ambari in the heart of the city. Apart from the fund crisis, the department is faced with a peculiar problem as far as maintenance and preservation of these sites where temples are located, are concerned. The director regrets that in most of the cases local temple committees resorted to construction of new structures within the site without carrying to consult the department. This has led to rapid decay of these ancient monuments besides causing damage to their ?aesthetic beauty.?